11-year-old electrocuted during basketball practise

CHENNAI: An 11-year-old boy practising basketball at a court in Nandanam YMCA premises was electrocuted on Saturday after he came in touch with an exposed livewire running by the side of the court.

The deceased boy was identified as Riyan Aadhav, a resident of D’Silva Road in Mylapore and a class 6 student at a private school. His parents, Dayal Sundaram and Geetha Priya, are doctors at a private hospital in Thousand Lights area, police said.

Police investigations revealed that Aadhav used to regularly practise basketball after school hours. On Saturday, he had gone for practise as usual at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) College of Physical Education premises in Nandanam when the incident happened.

Riyan went to fetch a ball which went off the basketball court when he came in contact with the livewire which was exposed from under the ground and fell unconscious. Other players and the coach, who witnessed the boy falling down, rushed him to a hospital. However, the boy succumbed without responding to treatment, said officials.

The Saidapet police have registered a case and are investigating. A police officer said that a negligence case is yet to be registered and maintained the case is “under investigation”.

The police are investigating if the exposed wire near the basketball court was installed by the YMCA management for floodlights for the courts or by outside contractors, as the YMCA grounds are often let out on rent for private events, especially during weekends.