Divisional commissioner KP Ramaiah (centre) conducts the probe at the spot where two teenagers were electrocuted, in Kankerbagh on Thursday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Feb. 23: Divisional commissioner K.P. Ramaiah today began investigations, on the direction of the home department, into the electrocution of two teenagers at Kankerbagh in the state capital.

Ramaiah visited the spot where the two boys — Pancham (17) and Rohit (16) — died on Monday. He also spoke to the residents of the area.

The two victims of electrocution worked in different shops in the area. While they were passing through water accumulated on the dug-up road leading to the Kankerbagh Stadium, they came in contact with a snapped underground livewire and died on the spot.

The residents complained about the unnecessary digging of the road. “Sir, there was no need to dig up the road, because of which the underground drainage pipe has cracked and water accumulated on the patch,” said Joginder Kumar, a resident.

He added: “All four roads leading to the under-construction stadium has been dug up for beautification work. We do not understand what kind of work is going on. Why were all the four roads dug up at one go? Why not one by one?”

Another resident and a social activist, Ashok Sharma, said: “While digging up the road, the electricity wires were cut but they were abandoned without proper precautions. Later, the wires came in contact with water. If the wires had been covered up by the contractors, such an incident would not have occurred. It is the negligence of the contractor, Patna Municipal Corporation and the electricity department. They allowed the contractor to dig up the road in the first place.”

Murtaza Halal, the Bihar State Electricity Board executive engineer of Kankerbagh, told Ramaiah: “Sir, we were not informed that the road was dug up. On Monday, we got a call from the district magistrate’s control room at 8.32pm that the incident had occurred. We disconnected the line at 8.33pm.”

The divisional commissioner asked the officer to submit a report on the action taken by the electricity board.

He then inquired about compensation to the family of the victims. Murtaza said: “First, we have to get the death certificates from the hospital. After some formalities are taken care of, Rs 1 lakh each will be given as compensation to the family members of the victims.”

Ramaiah asked sub-divisional police officer (Sadar) Rashid Zaman why the cops had no information that the four roads had been dug up at the same time.

Zaman had no answer.

Ramaiah said: “There is a serious lack of co-ordination among the various departments. After visiting the spot, I realised that if there was proper co-ordination among the contractors, the police, the electricity department and the civic body, the incident could have been averted.”

He added: “I will visit this spot a few more times to get the exact picture. Then, I will submit the report to the home department.”

Paswan visit

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan also visited the spot and met the family members of the two teenagers. He also met Sujata, a resident of the area, who was involved in a catfight with city superintendent of police Kim on Monday. Paswan said the state government shoukd take action against Kim and pay compensation to the families of the electrocution victims.