Beed: A 35-year-old labourer died after being electrocuted while allegedly carrying out illegal transformer-shifting work at a farm in Ladegaon Shivar in Kaij tehsil on Tuesday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Santosh Sonerao Nikam, a resident of Pokhari village in Ambajogai tehsil.
According to sources, the accident took place around 3:30 pm when Nikam and three other labourers climbed an electricity pole to install high-tension wires during the shifting work. Power suddenly passed through the lines, causing Nikam to suffer a severe electric shock. He died on the spot.
Officials said the transformer had originally been installed at the farm of local farmer Subhash Dhakne under the government’s “One Farmer, One Transformer” scheme. To legally relocate the transformer, consumers are required to pay official shifting charges to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).
However, officials alleged that the farmer avoided the official process and hired an unauthorised private contractor, identified as Sachin Shep, to carry out the work.
MSEDCL Junior Engineer Abhijeet Patil said the work was done without informing or taking permission from any MSEDCL officials. He stated that the labourers handled live power lines and poles without taking mandatory safety shutdowns.
The incident triggered anger among villagers and the victim’s family members. On Tuesday evening, relatives staged a protest outside the MSEDCL Executive Engineer’s office in Ambajogai. They initially refused to accept the body and demanded immediate action against the contractor and power department officials for alleged negligence.
The protest ended after authorities assured the family that a detailed investigation would be conducted.
After a post-mortem at Swami Ramanand Teerth Rural Government Medical College and Hospital in Ambajogai on Wednesday morning, Nikam’s body was handed over to his family. He was later cremated in his native village.
Police from Yusufwadgaon conducted a spot inspection, but no FIR had been registered till Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, MSEDCL officials said they have written to Yusufwadgaon police seeking criminal action against the unauthorised contractor for illegally handling electricity infrastructure and risking lives.
Further investigation is underway.
