Bengaluru Woman, Infant Dead After Stepping On Live Wire, 5 Suspended

New Delhi:

A 23-year-old woman and her nine-month-old daughter were killed in a tragic incident of electrocution in Bengaluru that has raised questions about civic negligence.

The live wire, which was snapped, was lying on the roadside and was unnoticed in the dark.

The incident occurred in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area when the mother, Soundarya, and her baby daughter, Suviksliya, were returning home from Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

They reportedly stepped on the live wire on the pavement of the Hope Farm signal and died on the spot.

Five employees of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) have been suspended for dereliction of duty.

A show-cause notice has also been sent to the BESCOM Superintendent Engineer of East Circle and the Executive Engineer of the Whitefield division.

Karnataka’s Power Minister KJ George said that anyone else responsible for this accident will be “dealt with tough actions”. He also announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the family of the victims.

“We have taken up an inquiry into the incident that has led to these unfortunate deaths and are awaiting the report. The linemen, AE (Assistant Engineer) and AEE (Assistant Executive Engineer) have been suspended for dereliction of duty. Anyone else responsible for this accident will be dealt with tough actions so that such mishaps do not recur in the future,” Mr George posted on X (formerly Twitter).