Prayagraj, Apr 17 The Allahabad High Court has awarded Rs 26.65 lakh as compensation to a man who lost both his hands in an electrical accident 29 years ago, holding the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board liable for negligence.
Justice Sandeep Jain passed the order while allowing a first appeal filed by the victim, Pappu, and setting aside a 2005 trial court judgment that had denied him compensation.
According to the case details, the incident occurred in March 1997 when Pappu, then 7, came into contact with an 11,000-volt transformer installed without fencing or safety cover near a primary school in the Nagla Padi area of Agra.
He suffered severe electric burns, leading to the amputation of both hands below the shoulders to save his life.
A compensation suit filed through his father was dismissed by a trial court in October 2005, which had attributed the incident to the child's negligence. Challenging this, the victim approached the high court.
Allowing the appeal, the Court ruled that the earlier judgment was unsustainable and held the electricity authorities responsible. It directed the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board to pay Rs 26.65 lakh as compensation along with interest at six per cent per annum from May 30, 1997, the date of filing of the case, till realisation.
The Court also directed that the victim be paid litigation costs, including court fees incurred during the trial and appeal.
In its April 15 order, the Court asked the electricity board to pay the amount within one month, failing which the petitioner would be free to initiate execution proceedings for recovery of the dues.
