Tiruvannamalai farmer steps on broken wire, gets electrocuted; family and locals stage road roko

CHENNAI: A Tiruvannamalai farmer was electrocuted on Thursday while picking flowers in his field, triggering widespread protests by his family and locals, said a Daily Thanthi report.

The deceased, Vinayagamurthy (45), a resident of Eachankuppam, was out on his farm early in the morning picking flowers when he accidentally stepped on a broken power line lying on the ground, and got electrocuted.

Upon hearing about the incident, his relatives rushed to the scene and found his lifeless body. In anger, they took his body to the Pudumallavadi Electricity Board office on Vellore Road, and staged a road blockade, which majorly disrupted traffic in the area.

The protesters demanded immediate action and accountability from the Electricity Board, claiming that it had not acted upon multiple complaints about a high-tension power line that had broken near Vinayagamurthy’s farm about 20 days ago. They further alleged that a banana tree had fallen onto another power line, which caused electric charge to travel through the broken wire, ultimately leading to the electrocution of Vinayagamurthy, the report added.

In response, Tiruvannamalai police, led by Assistant Superintendent Sathishkumar, arrived at the scene and engaged in talks with the protesters, attempting to diffuse the situation. But the protesters refused to end their stir until legal action was taken. Unable to reach a resolution, the police then warned that those continuing the protest would be arrested.

As tensions rose, the police seized Vinayagamurthy’s body and sent it for a post-mortem exam at the Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College Hospital. They also detained several people involved in the demonstration, including both men and women.

Meanwhile, as the road roko continued, the District Police Superintendent Dr Sudhakar arrived at the spot to monitor the situation. He assured the public that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.