District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa visits mortuary; announces Rs. 2 lakh compensation

Mysuru – Three persons including two youths were electrocuted yesterday when they were erecting a huge cutout of Architect of Indian Constitution Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for his 126th birth anniversary celebrations.

The incident occurred at Kyathamaranahalli at around      10 pm when the iron beams erected to support the cut out came in contact with a live wire. Over six persons were injured  in the incident.

The victims have been identified as 25-year-old Shivu, a tiles worker and son of Ulagappa, 40-year-old Kumar, a painter and 27-year-old Manikanta, an employee of Mysore City Corporation (MCC). Manikanta had got the job on humanitarian grounds following the death of his father Kenchaiah who was an MCC employee.   

The injured have been identified as Raghavendra, Shivu, Shantha Kumar and Sanjay and they have been admitted to K.R. Hospital and Shanthaveri Gopalagowda Hospital. The details of the other two injured are not known.   

According to the Police and local residents, the youths had made elaborate arrangements to celebrate Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanthi in a grand manner and had planned to erect his 30-ft cutout at A.K. Colony. The cutout was made and iron beams had been erected to support the structure. As the cut out was being lifted yesterday night, it came into contact with a live wire.

The youths, hit by electric shocks, collapsed to the ground and they were immediately rushed to the hospital. Shivu and Manikanta died on the way to the hospital while Kumar died later.

Compensation announced

Hearing the news about the death, District In-charge Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa visited the MMC&RI mortuary          this morning where the dead bodies were brought for post-mortem. Consoling the family members, Mahadevappa said that the government will immediately release an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the family members of the victims.

The Minister also directed Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep and MCC Commissioner G. Jagadeesha to look into the needs of the family and do whatever possible under the law. A large number of Manikanta’s colleagues visited the mortuary and Kyathamaranahalli and paid their last respects.

A pall of gloom has descended over Kyathamaranahalli, A.K. Colony and surrounding areas as the locality has lost three persons in the tragedy.