BESCOM officials booked for death of youth due to electrocution

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) logo. Photo: https://bescom.karnataka.gov.in/english

The Parappana Agrahara police have registered a case of death due negligence against three Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) officials along with the owner of a building following the death of a 20-year-old youth due to electrocution while drying clothes on the terrace of his rented house in Rajappa Reddy Layout, Konappana Agrahara in Electronic City 2nd stage on Wednesday (March 19, 2025).

The deceased Kantharaju S., working as a production helper at a private firm, was living in a rented house along with his friends. On Wednesday (March 19, 2025), since he had the second shift, Mr. Kantharaju washed his clothes and went to the terrace to put them for drying.

One of the clothes fell on the wires passing through the transformer put up close to the house. Kantharaju used a mop stick to pull the cloth and was electrocuted.

The others hearing the sound rushed to his help and shifted him to a near-by hospital where the doctor declared him as brought dead.

Based on the complaint filed by Jyothi, mother of Kantharaju, the police charged the Assistant Executive Engineer, Executive Engineer, Superintendent engineer and Devraj Reddy, owner of the house, under death due to negligence and section 3 (5) (multiple people commit a crime with a common intention) of BNS for further investigations.

The transformer according to the complainant was put up too close to the house and the live power lines connected to the transformer were dangling close to the house, posing a threat to the lives of the people, the complaint stated.