JOIN USA 40-year-old fruit and vegetable vendor was electrocuted while entering a public toilet in east Delhi’s Kishan Kunj on Wednesday, police said on Thursday.
Shocked over the death, locals protested outside the toilet demanding action against the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and power discom BSES.
Kishanlal hailed from Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district. He lived near Laxmi Nagar Metro station with his brother.Police said the incident took place when Kishanlal went to the toilet near Kishan Kunj’s community center.
Some locals and eyewitnesses told police that there was current on the railing of the public toilet for couple of days and several complaints were made to the power distribution company and civic authorities. But no action was taken.
Police said they have now cordoned off the toilet and put up signs of “out of order” to thwart any further incident.
“Kishanlal had accidentally touched the railing on which he collapsed,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Ajay Kumar, adding he was brought dead at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.
A medical examination has confirmed that he was electroculted.
After an initial probe, police found a loose wire touching the rolling shutter near the entrance of the toilet.
“It is clarified that Kishanlal was not electrocuted inside the public toilet,” Kumar added.
Police have contacted Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission for a technical report and to ascertain the exact cause of electrocution and leakage of current.
A case under section 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered with Shakarpur police station.
Experts said slight rain on Wednesday might have also contributed in the sequence of events which led to Kishanlal’s death.
Kishanlal is survived by his wife and three kids. His body was handed over to his family late on Thursday.
Kishanlal’s death is the second incident due to electrocution reported in east Delhi in a week.
On Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy had died of electrocution after a gate of a DDA society on which he climbed to avoid stepping into the waterlogged area touched an electricity pole.