Silchar: A 12-year-old boy was killed after he came in contact with a high-voltage live wire in Bhairabpur, Kalain, in southern Assam’s Cachar district on Thursday. Deceased Kishan Roy was a student of Class V at Natanpur lower primary school in Katigorah.
According to sources, the incident took place on Thursday morning when Kishan stepped out of his house in Bhairabpur, about 32 km from Silchar. It had rained heavily on Wednesday night and a high-voltage live wire, which was precariously hanging for the last many months, got detached from an electric line most probably because of strong winds.
Sources said the minor most probably came in contact with the live wire and died.
Bhairabpur (which falls under Katigorah assembly constituency) is a small village and waking up early in the morning and going for a walk in a common habit among people in rural areas.
Sources said the news of the child’s death spread like forest fire, following which a large number of villagers gathered at the spot and later blocked National Highway 6 in protest. They held the electricity department responsible for the boy’s death and demanded that a sum of Rs 10 lakh be provided as compensation to his family.
A police team reached the spot after receiving information about the road blockade and tried to pacify the protesters. However, the agitated people continued the blockade and refused to withdraw their protest until officials of the electricity department came there.
A junior engineer from the electricity department, along with some other workers, reached after some time. The enraged residents gheraoed them and sought clarification on the “careless act”. The police managed to rescue the junior engineer after some local leaders intervened.
The protesters have demanded that the compensation amount be given to the deceased’s family within three days and threatened to block NH 6 again if their demand was not fulfilled within the stipulated time.
After the road blockade was withdrawn, the body of the deceased was sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination, the sources said.
Katigorah circle officer A. Minarva Devi told EastMojo on Friday that the matter was being investigated to ascertain the exact cause of the minor’s death.
“If someone dies in a natural disaster like flood, compensation is provided. In cases of electrocution, compensation is given if it is proved that the death happened because of any mistake/carelessness of the electricity department,” Devi said.
She said the inquiry report and the autopsy report will be studied and based on that a final report will be submitted to Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli. The matter will then proceed further as per government norms, she added.
Katigorah Congress MLA Khalil Uddin Mazumder did not respond to phone calls. DC Jalli was not available for her comments over the matter.
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