Hazaribagh, May. 11: Engineers of Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) here have threatened to take ?appropriate action? within 24 hours after police arrested two engineers and produced them in court today.

Executive engineer Shiv Murat Pandey and assistant engineer Shravan Kumar are among the five JSEB officials because of whose negligence three villagers had died on Monday.

While the police arrested the two engineers, general manager, superintending engineer and a junior engineer, could not be found.

Both Pandey and Kumar, however, were released on bail by the court.

Three villagers had died on Monday when livewires fell on them. The FIR claims that the wire in the village had cracked a number of times in the past and despite complaints, no action was taken. Sources in the administration claimed that as many as 40 people have died in and around Hazaribagh during the past four years. The arrest, therefore, was necessary to shake up the JSEB engineers.

Superintending engineer Pratap Narayan Singh, who is also one of the accused, however, said, ?These are accidents,? and added that the electric poles and wires are sent to them from the headquarters. Therefore, if the wires happen to crack, they are not to be blamed, he pointed out.

Executive engineer Pandey, who was produced before the court, said the matter would be looked into within the next 24 hours. Off the record, some of the engineers claimed to be discussing the desirability of disrupting power supply in the district as part of their protest.

Deputy commissioner Rajiv Purwar is learnt to have sent his report to the government in which he is believed to have complained of negligence and inadequate maintenance of overhead electric wires in the district. The report, apparently, also calls for departmental action against the accused.

The deaths have become a talking point in the district and people recall the death of Nikhil Khanna, son of Bihar IG J.K. Khanna, in 2002 when live wires fell on a bus in which he was travelling on the Ranchi-Patna highway. The FIR then had made a truck driver the accused for having hit an electric pole that resulted in the accident.

But deputy inspector-general (North Chhotanagpur) and superintendent of police Ashish Batra are learnt to have submitted a report recently, accusing then executive engineer for negligence resulting in the death of Nikhil. The report, which has been sent to Jharkhand state electricity board, had requested for departmental action against the officer.