Mumbai: MSEDCL Officials Booked for Criminal Negligence After 17-Year-Old Boy Dies of Electrocution in Bhandup

A case of criminal negligence has been registered against officials and employees of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) after a 17-year-old boy died of electrocution in a waterlogged area of suburban Bhandup.

According to the FIR lodged at Bhandup police station, the incident occurred on August 19, 2025, on LBS Road, in front of Novelty Xerox, Bhandup (West). The deceased was identified as Deepak Ajay Ramlingam Pillai (17), a resident of Bhandup (West). He was declared dead at 11:35 am at Ayushman Hospital. The post-mortem report confirmed the cause of death as electrocution.

Preliminary inspection revealed that due to road digging work, an electric cable was exposed in a waterlogged area, leading to a fatal electric current in the accumulated rainwater.

What makes the case more disturbing is that a 40-year-old eyewitness had reportedly alerted MSEDCL’s toll-free helpline at 8:09 am, warning about “current in stagnant rainwater.” Despite this, the company allegedly failed to take timely preventive action, and no safety measures were implemented at the site until after the boy’s death around 10:45 am, police said.

A technical report by the Electrical Inspectorate confirmed that the electrocution occurred due to a punctured low-voltage underground cable, which caused the electric current to spread through the flooded area. The report further pointed out that the cable joints and fittings were substandard, and mandatory safety protocols were not activated in time, allowing the current to remain active in the water.

The investigation concluded that Assistant Engineer Santosh Rudrashetti, DTC Janmitra Vikas Kailash Jadhav, and other staff members at the MSEDCL complaint centre wilfully neglected their duty, resulting in the teenager’s death.

Based on these findings, Assistant Police Inspector Pournima Gulabrao Hande recommended criminal proceedings under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) causing death by negligence against the responsible MSEDCL officials and employees.