The Karnataka High Court has harshly criticized officials from the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) and Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) for their negligence, which the court claims has caused several fatalities. Justice Nagaprasanna, presiding over the case, expressed outrage at the lack of accountability within these organizations, noting that superiors often fail to authorize prosecutions against culpable staff, fostering a culture of impunity. This rebuke came during a hearing regarding the death of BESCOM lineman Vivekananda Patil, who was electrocuted while working in the Chikkaballapur industrial area.
Patil’s death occurred when officials allegedly charged a live wire without taking proper precautions, causing him to fall from an electric pole. His wife, Sangeeta, filed a complaint, accusing the officials of negligence leading to her husband’s death. Although the police charged the accused under Section 304A of the IPC for causing death by negligence, Sangeeta sought to quash the case, arguing that Patil had not received proper clearance to work in such a hazardous situation. The court refused to stop the proceedings, postponing further hearings until after Dussehra.
Justice Nagaprasanna expressed deep concern over the consistent failure of electrical inspectors to hold BESCOM officials accountable, contributing to a pattern where negligent employees avoid consequences. He emphasized that investigations into Patil’s death must continue and suggested that the inquiry could extend to other officials responsible for similar lapses in safety protocols, raising broader questions about the investigative processes within BESCOM and KPTCL.
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