Following youth’s death by electrocution, JE suspended

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, August 7

The Chief Engineer of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) Operations Vineeta Singh suspended a junior engineer Hukam Chand posted in Gurugram for alleged negligence in duty.

The 30-year-old youth, identified as Navneet Singh, alias Chotu, died of electrocution by coming in touch with a live wire hanging from an electricity pole at Chainpura Patti in Bhodakalan village in Gurugram on Sunday evening. He was returning home from duty on his motorcycle.

On Monday, after the post-mortem examination, local people angry over the incident blocked the Pataudi-Bilaspur road by placing the body on it. Navneet’s pregnant wife also sat in the protest along with her four-year-old son.

The villagers demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the kin of the deceased youth as well as legal action against the DHBVN authorities. Due to this, traffic on the road was disrupted for about four hours.

SDM Pataudi, who reached the spot, pacified the protesters by giving them an assurance of a compensation of Rs 16 lakh from the Power Department, a 100-yard plot from the village panchayat and adequate compensation from the state government. He also assured to take legal action against the DHBVN authorities responsible for the live electricity wire hanging from the pole.

Only after this, the blockade was cleared by the angry people. The local police had also registered a criminal case against the DHBVN authorities for causing death by negligence.

The local people had alleged that written complaints were made several times about the hanging wires, but no one listened to them. Therefore, it was the sheer negligence of the DHBVN authorities that led to Navneet's death, the locals maintained.

Meanwhile, the Chief Engineer Vineeta Singh while talking to The Tribune said the suspended junior engineer would be reporting daily in the office of the executive engineer at Rewari during his suspension period.

“I have asked the authorities concerned to conduct a departmental inquiry against him. Further action, if any, will be taken against him accordingly. If the allegations are found true, I will prepare a chargesheet against him as per the findings of the inquiry,” she said.

Inquiry underway

I have asked the authorities concerned to conduct a departmental inquiry against him. Further action, if any, will be taken against him accordingly. If the allegations are found true, I will prepare a chargesheet against him as per the findings. — Vineeta Singh, Chief Engineer, DHBVN