Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The death of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) district general secretary and lawyer Divyarishi Tiwari after he was electrocuted by an electric pole near DB Mall in MP Nagar has raised questions over the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) handling of the incident.
Despite claims that people had already received electric shocks at the same spot, no action has so far been taken against any BMC official or employee.
Local workers claimed that the pole had been giving electric shocks for the past three to four days. Satish Pandey, who works at a showroom nearby, said he received an electric shock two days before Sunday's fatal incident while crossing the divider.
Another employee, Rajendra Singh, also claimed to have suffered an electric shock at the same location.
BMC superintending engineer Ashish Shrivastava, however, said the civic body had received no complaint before Sunday's incident. He said the streetlight pole had been installed during Metro-related work and was being maintained by the BMC.
A BMC team inspected the spot on Monday and examined the pole and surrounding wiring. An exposed wire was found near the pole, raising suspicion that it could have caused the pole to become live. The exact cause will be established after the technical investigation.
MP Nagar police registered a case and barricaded the cut point, restricting movement through the area.
Tiwari was electrocuted on Sunday night while attempting to cross the road. According to head constable Jagdish Dangi, Tiwari climbed onto the divider and held the roadside pole for support, following which he received a severe electric shock.
His wife also came in contact with the current and suffered injuries. Traffic police personnel and others at the spot launched rescue efforts and performed CPR. Tiwari was rushed to AIIMS Bhopal, where doctors declared him dead.
Four-member committee ordered to probe death
Collector Priyank Mishra has constituted a four-member committee to investigate the electrocution death. The committee comprises additional collector Sumit Pandey, CMHO Manish Sharma, executive engineer (electrical safety) Mohammad Javed and superintending engineer of Madhya Pradesh Electricity Distribution Company Limited Pradeep Singh Chauhan.
The committee has been directed to submit its report to the collector within five days. The police commissioner has also been asked to ensure that CCTV footage related to the incident is made available to the investigating team.
Lawyers demand negligence case
A group of lawyers submitted a complaint at MP Nagar police station on Monday evening, demanding registration of a case over alleged negligence in connection with Tiwari's death.
Karni Sena Bharat and Swarn Samaj have demanded action against officials found responsible, Rs 5 crore compensation for the family, a government job for a family member and a safety audit of electricity poles across Bhopal.
They warned of a sit-in protest and road blockade if action is not taken within 24 hours.
CM expresses grief
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over Tiwari's death and said the administration had been directed to investigate the incident and take appropriate action.
