Trigger warning: Burns
A woman and her nine-month-old daughter were burnt to death in Bengaluru’s Whitefield after coming in contact with a live electric wire which was broken and lying on the footpath on Sunday, November 19. According to the police, the incident took place near Hope Farm Junctionat 6 am, when 23-year-old Soundarya accidentally stepped on the live wire belonging to the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM), killing her and her nine-month-old daughter Suviksha.
Videos from the incident depict a distressing scene, showing the mother and her daughter in the grip of flames on the footpath while the live wire is still dangling on her. Subsequent visuals reveal the aftermath, portraying the body fully charred from the intense heat and burning. The anguished cries of the family could be heard in the background.
The Kadugodi police said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and have initiated questioning of BESCOM officials. “We have lodged a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 304A (causing death by negligence) and we are questioning the BESCOM officials,” a police officer said.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against three BESCOM officials - Assistant engineer (Whitefield) Chetan, Junior engineer Rajanna, and station operator Manjunath.
Hope Farm Junction, one of the busiest junctions in the city, is at the intersection of Channasandra-Kadugodi road and ITPB-Whitefield road.