By: Mohan Lal Verma
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has granted an interim compensation of Rs.150, 000 for family of the victim who died due to electrical shock owing to negligence of the state electricity board.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, in an order made available to the media on Friday, has directed the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited to deposit the amount within six weeks.
One of the petitioners Roshni Devi said her 33-year-old husband, who was the only breadwinner, died of electric shock injuries in Tattapani village in Mandi district due to carelessness and negligence of the electricity board.
The other petitioners are two children of the victim. She said the board had not adhered to proper safety measures. She had approached the police for registration of the case but only a daily report was registered.
“Prima facie, this is a case where a writ court should intervene and come to the rescue of the victims in order to save them from destitution, vagaries and social evils and also provide them some sort of help at this stage,” observed the bench in its order on January 7, 2015.
