South Asians for Human Rights

Promoting Democracy, Upholding Human Rights

In 2011, Mulund resident Jayesh Mirani complained to the Commission that eight people died in Bhiwandi between 2007 and 2010 due to electric shock as a result of unsafe cabling done in the area by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL)’s contractor Torrent Power Limited.

On orders of the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has reopened a previously dismissed complaint against the country’s largest electricity distribution utility and its contractor Torrent Power Limited over the electrocution of eight people in Bhiwandi.

“The previous bench of the Commission dismissed the case. We have reopened the case to check whether there was violation of human rights and if due compensation was offered to the victims. Torrent said it has offered due compensation already,” said Maharashtra Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice S R Bannurmath.

“We are aware that the High Court directed the Human Rights Commission to reopen the case. In the latest hearing, we requested the Commission to allow more submissions in the case. Torrent officials were also present at the hearing,” said Ravindra Deloskar, an executive engineer with MSEDCL.

In 2011, Mulund resident Jayesh Mirani complained to the Commission that eight people died in Bhiwandi between 2007 and 2010 due to electric shock as a result of unsafe cabling done in the area by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL)’s contractor Torrent Power Limited.

Mirani had alleged that no action was taken against Torrent by the electrical inspector appointed by MSEDCL. In 2014, the Commission had disposed of the complaint observing that police had taken due action. “Any further intervention in this matter is not necessary,” the Commission’s order had stated. The Commission had also rejected the argument that the quantum of compensation was insufficient to the families of victims.

After the complaint was dismissed, Mirani approached the High Court. In his petition to the High Court, Mirani stated that Torrent was negligent in repair work of electrical poles. The complaint stated that unskilled labour was employed to lay cable lines instead of skilled labour. “Lives of unskilled labourers have been put in jeopardy and danger by entrusting them with work which requires skilled and qualified labour,” the petition stated.

The petition also alleged that high tension cables that should be laid at a depth of four feet below the ground were laid just two feet below or in several instances at ground level. “In many places, the cables passed through gutters and beside the pipelines,” the petition said.

The division bench of the High Court asked the state government in February this year to furnish data on the deaths in Bhiwandi. A bench of Justice A S Oka and Justice A K Menon directed the Commission in May to conduct fresh hearings in the case. The Commission conducted its first hearing this week and asked the power utility to submit all documents related to the case.

Torrent has a licence from the power utility to provide electricity in Bhiwandi. MSEDCL officials claimed adequate caution was taken to lay the lines properly. Deloskar said that the electrical engineer conducted the inspections regularly.

Source: http://indianexpress.com
Updated On: 27.11.2017