Vasai: 22-year-old man electrocuted while cutting grass, locals blame power company for negligence

The live wire which was concealed in the grass. Pic/Hanif Patel

In a tragic incident, a 22-year-old man died after being electrocuted while cutting grass in a field in Ranshet Wadi village, near Merces church in Vasai West yesterday. The deceased has been identified as Sanju Kumar Yadav, who worked in a local buffalo shed.

According to sources, Yadav had gone out early in the morning to cut fodder for the buffaloes as part of his routine work. While working, he accidentally came in contact with a live electric wire that had fallen and was hidden amidst the grass.

Locals have blamed the electricity distribution company for negligence, alleging that complaints about broken and exposed wires have been repeatedly filed over the past three years, but no action was ever taken.

They said several people have lost their lives due to electric shocks in the area over the past few years. "Each time such an incident occurs, the electricity department springs into action for a few days, but soon everything returns to the same negligent state," said a resident.

Local social worker and activist Jerry Machharo, who informed the police about the incident, told mid-day, "We have been raising complaints for the last three years. The condition of the transformer in this area is terrible. A major tragedy was just waiting to happen."