Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Compensation awarded

CHENNAI: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has recommended to the Tamil Nadu Government to pay a compensation of Rs.one lakh to a person whose 14-year-old hearing and speech impaired son was electrocuted.

The Electricity Board officials had miserably failed to prove their onus that they were not at fault and liability for the incident, an SHRC Bench comprising A. R. Selvakumar and S. Paramasivan, Members, said in its order.

After paying the compensation, the government should recover Rs.30,000 from Sundaramoorthy, Assistant Engineer, Operation and Maintenance, East, Guduvancheri and Rs.10,000 from Chittarai, wireman of the same area, as per rules. The government should bear the balance of Rs.60,000 on moral obligation.

D. Subramanian of Kottai village, Vandavasi taluk in Tiruvannamalai district, complained to the Commission seeking compensation due to the “sudden and suspicious” death of his son, Anbarasan, who was studying in a special school at Guduvancheri, in 2006. In its report to the Commission, its investigation wing submitted the boy’s death was due to electrocution. Through their counter-affidavit, the board officials submitted that the AE soon after coming to know of the accident on August 9, 2006 through the wireman rushed to the spot and found that the wires of the low tension feeder of Nandivaram transformer had got snapped due to heavy rain and wind. The counter said the tragedy occurred due to “unforeseen facts and circumstances and due to act of God” which were beyond the officials’ control. The Bench said that from the evidence it was transparent that the death of the boy was due to electrocution. It was a settled proposition of law that the burden of proof in matters of this nature that there was no negligence, rested upon the board authorities. No register or record was produced by the officials to show that the transformer and electrical wires in question were subjected to periodical checks and replacements were made then and there. Also, material was not placed to enlighten that precautionary steps were taken to prevent untoward incidents during the heavy rain and strong wind. The Commission held that the respondents violated human rights.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Travel and tourism fair
Students’ cell inaugurated
Book covers 150 species of animals on IIT-Madras campus
First focus of The Hindu Initiative on Wellness, the heart
Economic growth, social development must go hand in hand: Rangarajan
“Foreign trade policy has failed to promote inclusive growth”
1,225 licences cancelled for drunken driving
State to strictly enforce ban on smoking
Court allows Sasikala’s plea
“U.S. financial collapse won’t hurt India”
Antony’s assurance
Residents caught unawares as showers lash city
Special programmes for children
Flexi-payment options from Tata Teleservices
Corporation school students set off on rewarding tour
Students stage protest, seek better facilities
Inter-collegiate quiz today
Association rift comes to the fore
“Make use of brigade patrol vehicles”
Perungudi holds mirror up to reality realty check
Website on ‘99999’ campaign launched
Road widening project to be over soon
Three held for attacking bar employee
Compensation awarded
Power shutdown
Public hearing on October 5
“Politicians must be trained in security matters”
Muslims going through difficult times, says Kanimozhi
“Private colleges drive IT growth”
In Chennai Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu