Electrocuted teen dies after four days in hospital

A 14-year-old boy battling for life in the ICU after he was electrocuted by a live high-tension wire, died at the Victoria Hospital in the early hours of Monday.

Deceased Nikhil ventured too close to the high-tension wire as he went to fetch a cricket ball from the terrace of a house near Netaji Circle in Mathikere on May 16.

Dr K T Ramesh, head of the burns ward at the Victoria Hospital, said as Nikhil had suffered 47% burns, he succumbed to the injuries around 2 am on Monday.

After postmortem, Nikhil’s last rites were performed in Hebbal.

DCP (North) N Shashikumar said police found the high-tension wire near the house and upon enquiry, Bescom officials said they had issued notices to owners and occupants to vacate the houses in close proximity to the live wire.

“We will conduct a detailed investigation. Anyone found responsible for negligence, including officials, will be booked,” he said.

The DCP added that he had sought details about the rules and regulations regarding the construction of houses near high-tension wires. “We had sought expert opinion to maintain neutrality in the case as Bescom may refuse to assume responsibility. There is also a view that someone dangerously close to a live high-tension line may get dragged towards it,” he noted.

Nikhil, son of Amaresh, was a supervisor at an apartment, and Rama Devi was a class 9 student of Delhi Public School. On May 16 afternoon, he was about to go to JP Park. One of his friends threw a ball at him to catch but it landed on the terrace. When he went to fetch the ball, he came too close to the high-tension line.