Pay relief to kin of man who was electrocuted: HC to Tangedco

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Madurai: Madras high court directed Tangedco authorities to pay Rs5 lakh compensation to a woman whose husband died of electrocution in Trichy district in 2021.

The court was hearing the appeal preferred by Sulochana challenging the order passed by a single bench. According to Sulochana, her house was provided with a cable TV connection and the cable wire had been tied to an electric post. In 2021, when a cow owned by her touched the cable wire, it suffered electrocution and died. When Sulochana’s husband Ragavan attempted to rescue the cow, he also suffered electrocution and died on the spot. Police had registered a case.

In 2024, Sulochana filed a petition before HC seeking compensation for the death of her husband. Taking into account the fact that the cable TV wire was illegally tied to an electric post which resulted in the death of her husband, the single judge dismissed the petition. Challenging the same, she had preferred the present appeal.

A division bench of justice N Sathish Kumar and justice M Jothiraman observed that in the present case, it is an admitted fact that death occurred due to electrocution. As per board proceedings issued by Tangedco in 2019, a sum of Rs5 lakh is payable as compensation in cases of fatal accidents involving human beings or animals.

Hence, the judges directed Tangedco to pay the compensation. It is open to the appellant to pursue her remedies with regard to negligence and claim of higher compensation against the concerned parties by initiating appropriate proceedings in the manner known to law, the judges observed.