A 47-year-old construction worker, Surendra Bhalekar, was electrocuted on Monday morning after hanging a towel on a live wire in Dapodi village, Daund taluka, approximately 85km from Pune. His wife, Adika, and their son, Prasad, also died while trying to rescue him.
According to the Yavat police, Surendra Bhalekar received a severe shock when electricity flowed through the wire he used to hang the towel. His son Prasad, attempting to save his father, also suffered a shock. Adika, rushing to their aid, was similarly electrocuted.
Inspector Narayan Deshmukh of the Yavat police reported that the family had been living in a rented room in Dapodi for the past five years. Surendra Bhalekar worked as a centring worker, Adika worked on farms, and Prasad was a Standard XII science student.
The incident was precipitated by heavy rain the previous day, which caused a pipe supporting an electrical wire in their backyard to bend. This led the live wire to come into contact with the tin wall of their room, allowing electric current to pass through. The family had used an iron wire tied to the tin wall for drying clothes, which conducted the current.
Initial investigations revealed that around 7 am on Monday, Surendra Bhalekar was preparing to bathe outside when he hung the towel on the wire and was electrocuted. Prasad’s attempt to help resulted in his own electrocution. Adika, alarmed and attempting to rescue them, also fell victim to the electrical shock. Their daughter was away at a coaching class at the time of the incident.
Officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) inspected the site. Vikash Puri, MSEDCL’s public relations officer, suggested that friction may have damaged the wire’s coating, causing the power to conduct through the tin wall. The power utility has announced a compensation of Rs4 lakh per person to the next of kin of the deceased.
Inspector Deshmukh stated that further actions would be taken following the electricity inspector’s report, and investigations are ongoing.
This tragic incident is part of a series of electrocutions in the city this month. On June 4, a 45-year-old man was electrocuted in Balewadi when a live power cable snapped due to heavy rain. On June 11, a woman and her 14-year-old son were electrocuted on their roof in Kharabwadi near Chakan. On June 12, a 10-year-old boy in Hadapsar died after stepping on a live wire submerged in water.