“Electrocution Tragedy in Belagavi Claims Lives of Three, Including 8-Year-Old Girl”

Three individuals, including an eight-year-old girl, were tragically electrocuted at a construction site in Belagavi. The victims were identified as Irappa Rathod, Shanthavva Rathod, and their granddaughter Annapurna Rathod. The incident occurred when the couple tried to save their granddaughter from a fallen live wire. Minister for Women and Child Development, Laxmi Hebbalkar, visited the site and announced compensation for the victims’ families. The Belagavi Police Commissioner stated that negligence from Hescom officials, the house owner, and the contractor was the cause of the accident. A case will be filed under Section 304A of the IPC. The Hindu reported

An unfortunate incident occurred in Belagavi on Saturday when three individuals, including an eight-year-old girl, were tragically electrocuted at an under-construction house in Shahu Nagar. The victims have been identified as Irappa Rathod, aged 55, Shanthavva Rathod, aged 50, and their granddaughter Annapurna Rathod, aged 8. Sadly, all three lost their lives instantly. Irappa, who served as a watchman at the construction site, hailed from Arabenchi Tanda in the Ramadurg taluk of Belagavi district.

Preliminary information suggests that the couple rushed to rescue their granddaughter, who accidentally stepped on a live wire that had fallen on the ground at the construction site. The incident sparked high emotions among the family members, who protested against the shifting of the bodies until compensation was announced for the victims’ families. Despite the accident occurring in the morning, the bodies remained at the scene until the intervention of local community leaders resolved the issue.

Minister for Women and Child Development, Laxmi Hebbalkar, promptly arrived at the scene upon being alerted. She offered her condolences and reassured the grieving family members. After discussing the matter with Chief Minister Siddarmaiah over the phone, Minister Hebbalkar announced that each kin of the deceased would receive a compensation of ₹2 lakh. Additionally, immediate relief had been extended to the affected family through the Laxmi Tai Foundation.

Belagavi Police Commissioner S.N. Siddaramappa, addressing the press after the bodies were taken for post-mortem, stated that negligence from Hescom officials (the power distribution company), the house owner, and the contractor was the primary cause of the tragic deaths. He confirmed that a case would be filed against all three parties under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with causing death by negligence. Commissioner Siddaramappa emphasized the clear violation of rules regarding power connections for construction work, as well as the contractor’s failure to implement necessary safety measures during the building process. The owner of the house, Sarojini Narasinganavar, who is currently in Bengaluru, will also face legal action along with the other parties involved..