Thane, May 5 (IANS) A six-year-old child died of electrocution in the Indira Nagar area of Wagle Estate in Maharashtra's Thane, triggering widespread anger among residents who alleged negligence by the electricity department.

According to officials, on Monday night, the child was playing near his house when he came into contact with a cluster of exposed electric wires located close to a chawl. He suffered a severe electric shock and died on the spot. The cables are believed to be linked to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, the state-run power distribution utility.

Following the incident, protests erupted across the locality.

Angry residents gathered outside the Srinagar Police Station around midnight and staged a sit-in demonstration, demanding accountability for the child’s death.

Locals claimed that repeated written complaints had been submitted to Mahavitaran officials regarding the hazardous exposed wiring, but no corrective action was taken.

The protest was joined by local public representative Eknath Bhoir, who supported the residents’ demand for strict action against those responsible.

Protesters called for the registration of a case of culpable homicide against officials allegedly responsible for the negligence that led to the fatal accident.

The tragedy has once again highlighted concerns over electrical safety in densely populated urban areas, particularly in informal settlements where exposed wiring and illegal connections are common.

In a separate incident, earlier in March, a 23-year-old MBA student lost his life due to electrocution at the College of Agriculture in Pune. The victim, Chaitanya Chavan, reportedly received a fatal electric shock while using a water filter on campus. The incident sparked outrage among students and raised serious questions about maintenance and safety standards within educational institutions.

Similarly, in August 2024, a six-year-old boy, Arnav Bhandare, died after coming into contact with a live wire in Mulund Colony. In that case, police registered an offence against six individuals, including two officials of Mahavitaran, after it was found that the wire had been left exposed due to illegal electricity connections.

--IANS

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