Himachal court grants relief to kin of man electrocuted

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has granted an interim compensation of Rs.150,000 for the family of the man who was electrocuted owing to negligence of the state electricity board.

A division Bench of Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, in an order made available to the media Friday, has directed the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. to deposit the amount within six weeks.

One of the petitioners, Roshni Devi said her 33-year-old husband, the only breadwinner of the family, died of electric shock in Tattapani village in Mandi district due to carelessness and negligence of the electricity board.

The other petitioners are two children of the man.

She said the board had not adhered to proper safety measures. She approached the police for registration of the case but only a daily report was registered.

"Prima facie, this is a case where a writ court should intervene and come to the rescue of the victims in order to save them from destitution, vagaries and social evils and also provide them some sort of help at this stage," the bench observed in its Jan 7 order.

The court listed the matter for next hearing April 6.