Power theft proves fatal for man, son

Mahabubabad: Illegal tapping of power from overhead electricity line has claimed the lives of a father and his son at Boddigonda village in Gudur mandal of Mahabubabad district on Thursday. The police identified the deceased as Bhukya Akiya (57) and his son Nagesh (23).

They were electrocuted when came in contact with their cattle shed’s roof into which the power from an electricity distribution line was leaking. It was said that Akiya normally stays at the cattle shed in their house’s courtyard and checks his cattle at about 4am every day.

At around 6 am, neighbours saw Akiya lying on the floor of the cattle shed and called the family members, who found him dead but had no idea how he died. The family members then informed Nagesh, who was away from the location and he rushed home on learning the news.

As Akiya’s funeral arrangements were being made by the family members, Nagesh went inside the cattle shed to check what led to his father’s death.

While doing so he touched the iron roof sheet and suffered a massive electric shock. His relatives, who found him suffering, managed to get him out of contact with the roof and rushed him to a local hospital but he died on the way, informed Gudur inspector B Ramesh.

The NPDCL Assistant Engineer Ravi Kumar visited the spot. After inspecting the scene of incident, he said the house did not have an electricity connection and the family was drawing electricity illegally and the wires they used to draw power were in contact with the cattle shed roof, leading to the electrocution of father and son.

The official has advised villagers not to draw electricity illegally as it could prove dangerous to their lives, besides attracting penalties from the department. The raids in the villages would be intensified to check illegal connections, he added.