Cuttack: In a case of the death of a youth from Dhenkanal due to an electric shock, the High Court has directed the state government to provide a compensation of ₹4 lakh to the affected family. The court has ordered that the compensation should be paid within two months. The family may also apply for additional compensation through appropriate legal channels, as advised by the High Court. The directive was given by Justice Aditya Kumar Mahapatra, who conducted the hearing after reviewing the case.
The youth, Siddhant, was a 17-year-old student of the local college. He came into contact with a live electric wire while on his way to a nearby shop on the afternoon of February 16, 2016. The local people rushed him to a medical center, but the doctors declared him dead. A case was filed at the police station, and the applicant sought compensation. The High Court ruled that the Electricity Department’s negligence in maintaining the electrical infrastructure had contributed to the fatal incident. The court stated that if proper maintenance and safety measures had been in place, such an accident could have been avoided. The court declared that the Electricity Supply Corporation is liable for the death, and according to the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) rules, the affected family is entitled to ₹4 lakh in compensation.
The case was handled by the applicant’s lawyer, Sitaanshu Kumar Dwivedi.