Reverse current in broken internet cable caused electrocution: Police on death of youth in Sanjaynagar

Reverse current and a snapped internet cable caused the electrocution of a 22-year-old man in northern Bengaluru’s Sanjaynagar on Monday, police have said.

Kishore, a native of Hoskote, had stopped by the footpath outside a children’s park in NGEF Layout when he tried to pull an internet cable dangling from a tree around 7 pm on Monday. He was instantly electrocuted even as a cousin, who was with him at the time, and passersby watched in horror.

Also Read | Youth electrocuted near park in Bengaluru's Sanjay Nagar

The death sparked outrage in the city with many people holding the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) responsible.

But on Tuesday, the city police said the incident was caused by something else, as explained by officials from the Karnataka State Electrical Inspectorate, who examined the spot.

Two causative factors

According to the police, two factors caused the electrocution. Firstly, there was a reverse current in the internet cable from a router located in a nearby house. (Reverse current is the flow of direct electric current in a reverse direction).

Secondly, the cable was snapped, meaning the electric current was not insulated. So the moment Kishore touched the internet cable, electricity flowed through his body, resulting in electrocution.

A senior police officer who’s supervising the investigation said: “The cable that Kishore had touched belonged to a private internet service provider (ISP). The cable had been dangling for the last few days but the company took no action.”

Police have questioned Naveen, the ISP’s in charge of the Sanjaynagar area. They are likely to question more people and take appropriate action.

However, the victim’s family was not convinced.

Protest at Bescom office

Soon after receiving the body following the post-mortem, they staged a flash protest in front of the Bescom office in Sanjayanagar, accusing the agency of causing the death and demanding action against the officials concerned. They also sought monetary compensation.

Police rushed to the spot and cleared the crowd, explaining that Bescom was not responsible for the incident. Police also told the family that they cannot demand compensation but promised to ask the ISP to compensate them on humanitarian grounds.

On Monday night, police had booked Bescom officials and the internet service provider for causing death by negligence under IPC Section 304A.

The incident shattered the dreams of a family. Kishore had moved to the city just three months ago.

He stayed with his elder sister Sindhu R in Geddalahalli, North Bengaluru, and worked as a helper in a private factory. Before that, he worked at a construction site.

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