Electrocution of minor; HC notices to civic agency, discom

The Delhi High Court today issued notices to East Delhi Municipal Corporation and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd on a plea of a couple seeking damages of Rs 45 lakh for the death of their 14-year-old son due to electrocution and injuries in a park run by the civic agency here.
A bench of Justice Manmohan sought responses from the civic body and the discom within four weeks on the plea of Rajeev Singhal and Mamta Singhal and fixed it for hearing on January 15.
The plea, filed through lawyer Uday Gupta, has sought an order directing EDMC and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd, which supplies electricity in some east Delhi localities, to pay Rs 45 Lakhs as "compensatory damages".

It has also sought imposition of "punitive damages in the sum of Rs 25 lakhs" upon them.
The plea said Akshat Singhal, 14, who was promoted to class IX this year and has been brilliant in studies, had gone to 'Sanjay Park' at New Gobindpura in east Delhi on the evening of July 5 along with his businessman-father to play with his friends.
He was electrocuted when he went to fetch a ball near an electric pole in the park maintained by EDMC.

"Electricity to the park, periphery and electrical installations inside the park is supplied by BSES Yamuna Power Limited [Respondent No. 2]", the plea said, adding a "high voltage electricity cable connected to the high mast light pole was cut and without any insulation" leading to the untimely death of the minor.

"Master Akshat suffered six injuries and the first four injuries were caused to due to blunt force/ surface impact and injuries No.5 & 6 were electric wounds caused by the entry and exit of the high voltage electricity current which passed through the body of late Akshat," it said.
The plea has also annexed the income tax returns of the father of the victim who is running the business of garments at Gandhi Nagar here, it said.