Bengaluru: 11-year-old girl dies after touching live wire

Bengaluru: An 11-year-old girl died after coming into contact with a live electric pole in a village near Anekal, on the southern outskirts of Bengaluru.

The victim has been identified as Tanishka S, a Class 5 student at a private school in Narayanaghatta. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, the police said.

Following a complaint filed by Tanishka’s family, the Surya City police have registered a case of death by negligence under the relevant section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Bescom and the Public Works Department (PWD).

An investigator in the case said that Tanishka had been playing outside after school when she accidentally touched the electrified pole and was electrocuted. Neighbours rushed to help when she collapsed and took her to hospital, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.

"The entire electric pole was live due to a technical fault with the earthing system. The situation was made worse by a brief spell of rain,” the investigator told DH.

The police have requested a technical inspection of the site by experts to determine the lapses that led to the tragedy. Further action will be taken based on the findings of that report.

Tanishka’s father, Sampangi, works as a labourer, while her mother, Manjula, is a homemaker.

2023 incident 

In November 2023, 23-year-old Soundarya and her nine-month-old daughter Suviksha were similarly electrocuted after stepping on a live wire near Hope Farm in Kadugodi.