Lucknow: A couple in their early 40s were electrocuted to death after coming into contact with a high-tension overhead cable while working in a guava orchard in Mohanpur village of Aligarh district on Thursday afternoon.
The victims, identified as Resham Pal (42), a farmer, and his wife Geeta Devi (40), were residents of Dohri village in Aligarh and are survived by three minor children — Srahad Kumar, 16, Debu Kukar, 15, and Diksha, 6.
Pal’s brother Jitendra Kumar said the deaths happened due to negligence on the part of the power department. “An electric wire fell on the ground leading to the incident. My brother and his wife were spraying pesticides on the trees in the orchard when a live electric wire fell on the ground. My brother accidentally came into contact with the exposed wire and got electrocuted. My sister-in-law rushed to save him but she too was electrocuted.”
Giriraj Singh, Pal’s uncle, said, “My nephew and his wife had rented the orchard and were working on it for the past three years. They would live and work inside the orchard. Compensation should also be provided to the victim’s family as they have three children.”
Officials of the power department refuted the allegations and said that the duo was electrocuted by “electrical fencing surrounding the orchard”.
Raghavendra Singh, superintendent executive (rural) of the power department, said, “This incident has nothing to do with the department. The orchard was surrounded by electric fencing to prevent stray animals from entering the area, and the current released by this fence led to the incident.”
Akrabad police station SHO MP Singh, said, “Investigation is being conducted. So far, no police complaint has been filed in the matter.”
