Pune: An eight-year-old died and her younger brother (5) sustained an electric shock after coming into contact with a direction board of the PMC on Sunday evening at Doke Talim in Nana Peth.“We have identified the deceased girl as Sayali Dumbe of Doke Talim, Nana Peth. We have registered an accidental death case as of now and further probe is on,” Gitte said. Gitte also mentioned, “The boy has recovered from his injuries.” The Samarth police said the direction board of the PMC and an electricity pole of Maharashtra Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) are located close to each other. “We suspect that the power supply percolated into the direction board’s pole from the electricity pole,” said senior inspector Uttam Gitte of Samarth police.Contrary to what the police have claimed, the MSEDCL officials on Tuesday issued a statement starting that their team inspected the accident spot and realised that both the poles do not belong to MSEDCL and that the utility did not suppy powers to these poles. The civic body officials, too, have issued a statement on Tuesday evening saying, “Our team inspected the accident site and found that the girl came in contact with the direction board installed by a local politician and the power supply for this board has been illegally taken from a source. The street lamp is about five to six feet away from the board.”According to the Samarth police, the two children were playing in a small open space in front of their house where the pole of direction board is located. “The two children came in contact with the direction board’s pole and the girl was electrocuted,” he said. Their parents are casual workers, Gitte added.“We will probe how the electrical charge entered the direction board from the MSEDCL pole,” Gitte stated.On May 20, a 10-year-old boy, Mayant alias Dadu Pradip Adagale of Warje, died after coming into contact with an electricity pole during raining. Police said the electricity pole was located in front of the boy’s residence.
