Ragpicker electrocuted, Bescom claims he was ‘stealing’ iron rod

Representative Image. Credit: iStock Photo

A 25-year-old ragpicker lost his life after coming in contact with a live electric wire in a stormwater drain near Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Halasuru, central Bengaluru, on Friday, police said.

Bescom officials claimed Appu was trying to steal an iron rod from a nearby construction site when he came in contact with a low tension wire at 6.30 am. “There is no proper walkway at that particular spot. The man must have lost balance while carrying the rod which touched the live wire. He must have pulled the wire as he fell into the stormwater,” a Bescom engineer said. Halasuru police have taken up a case of causing death by negligence against Bescom.