The Karnataka High Court has given yet another task to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), of removing all the transformers that were places on the footpaths in the city, within a week's time, taking assistance from Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM). The order comes a day after the state's apex court gave a direction to BBMP to remove all encroachments and construct new footpaths where there are none in the city. While hearing a petition filed by Ashwini Patil, wife of Manoj Kumar Patil who died of alleged electrocution near Church Street area in May last year, Justice Rammohan Reddy lashed out at the negligent attitude of BESCOM officials and BBMP.
The matter in question is a transformer situated allegedly on footpath in Church Street near a restaurant called Kaati zone. Manoj Patil had died after electrocution from the transformer allegedly placed on footpath. Later Ashwini patil approached the court questioning the negligence from BESCOM officials and asking for 29 crore rupees compensation.
In a detailed order, the bench also directed BESCOM and their engineers to find the number of roads and footpaths in the city where transformers have been placed and submit the report by Monday. The bench has also asked to find the number of transformers found on footpaths in the city. During the hearing, the judge opined that somebody is trying to suppress the facts.
"There can be a possibility of a cover-up also. They are not only usurping public property but also making life unfair for citizens. I think we should banish electricity itself forever, " he observed.
The bench also said that at the time of the incident, two junior engineers namely, Padmanabha and Thimmegowda were present at the place of incident.
But the managing director of BESCOM in his letter to KERC Secretary, dated May 31, 2013, stated that victim could have died due to mild electric shock because of the induction current as the humidity was very high in that area then. But the judge also observed that the BESCOM officials couldn't give a satisfactory explanation on the induction current. Additionally, the counsel for the petitioner said that the postmortem report by Bangalore Medical college confirmed that Manoj's cause of death was cardiac failure, which was the result of electrocution.
The bench then directed the parties to check the feasibility of the Principal City Civil Judge to record the petition along with evidences and other details and then submit the matter back to apex court. He observed that this would be more feasible than filing suits for damage.
The trial has been posted to July 28.
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