NHRC issues notices on schoolboy's death by electrocution in UP's Ballia

Ballia (UP), Nov 6 (PTI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of a class 4 student by electrocution and sought a report from three officials within two weeks.

     The boy was sent to the school terrace to pluck bottle gourds for the mid-day meal scheme when the incident happened.

    According to information uploaded on the NHRC portal, the commission has issued notices to the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, the Ballia district magistrate and the superintendent of police.

     The commission said that if the media reports were true, it would amount to a serious human rights violation.

     The incident took place on November 2 at a government primary school in Kanaila village under the Garwar Police Station area, when 11-year-old Arshad Ahmed came into contact with a high-tension wire while plucking the vegetable.

     Police have since arrested acting headmaster Vijay Shankar, assistant teacher Anil Kumar and shiksha mitra Deep Chandra Ram in connection with the death.

     An FIR was registered on a complaint by the victim's brother, Salman, who named the three school staff members and a junior engineer of the electricity department.

     The acting headmaster and assistant teacher were suspended, while the process to terminate the shiksha mitra was initiated.

     The electricity department suspended junior engineer Raj Narayan Yadav.

     District Magistrate Gyanendra Singh told PTI that an explanation had been sought from the district basic education officer and instructions were issued to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

     He said the victim's family would be given Rs 5 lakh in compensation.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)