Daijiworld Media Network - Tumakuru
Tumakuru, May 6: A five-year-old boy tragically lost his life to electrocution in Tumakuru district on Tuesday, highlighting yet another instance of alleged negligence by Karnataka's electricity authorities.
The victim, Poshaka Shetty, was playing outside his home in Goraghatta village near Turuvekere town when he came into contact with a fence that had an electric wire draped over it. The wire had reportedly snapped earlier and fallen unnoticed. According to police, Poshaka died on the spot after touching the electrified fence.
The incident has sparked grief and anger in the local community. Residents have strongly condemned the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), accusing it of carelessness and demanding accountability for the boy’s death.
The Dandinashivara police have registered a case and begun an investigation.
This is not an isolated case. Karnataka has witnessed several fatal electrocution incidents in recent months, raising serious concerns about public safety and infrastructure oversight.
On March 13 in Bengaluru’s Chamarajpet locality, a woman named Selvi was electrocuted while switching on a water motor. The tragedy led to a public protest, with residents blocking a major road to express their frustration over poor maintenance of electrical lines.
Earlier on June 27, 2024, two auto drivers—Devaraj Gowda and Raju—were killed in Mangaluru when a live wire fell on one of them while he was washing his vehicle. The second man died attempting to save the first.
Perhaps the most heart-wrenching of recent incidents occurred on November 19, 2023, near Hope Farm Junction in Bengaluru. Soundarya, 23, and her infant daughter, Suvikasha, were walking along a footpath when they unknowingly stepped on a fallen high-voltage cable. Both were electrocuted instantly—barely 100 meters from a BESCOM office.
These recurring tragedies have intensified public scrutiny of Karnataka's power utility providers. Citizens and activists are increasingly demanding strict accountability measures, immediate infrastructure audits, and preventive safety protocols to stop such avoidable deaths.