A farmer and his son died after coming into contact with an electrified fence installed around their paddy field in Hirapur village of Odisha’s Khurda district, prompting a police and energy department investigation into the fence’s power source and safety compliance.
The incident occurred on Friday night under Nachuni police station limits while Rabindra Guru, 65, and his son Pabitra Guru, 29, were guarding their standing paddy crop from wild animals and stray cattle, according to police sources cited by the Times of India. The field had been surrounded by a solar-powered fence that had been charged with electric current.
Nachuni police station inspector-in-charge Bibhuti Bhusan Mohapatra said Rabindra Guru is suspected to have accidentally touched the live fence and suffered a fatal electric shock. When Pabitra attempted to rescue his father, he too came into contact with the charged fencing, police said. Both men died at the spot.
After receiving information about the incident, police reached Hirapur and moved the bodies to the community health centre at Tangi. An inquest was conducted before the bodies were handed over to the family, according to the report.
Police are investigating how the fencing was installed, how it was connected to a power source and whether electricity was being used illegally or in violation of safety requirements. The source of power supplied to the fence and the circumstances surrounding the deaths are also being examined.
Mohapatra said a joint inspection by the energy department and police would be carried out on Monday. The inspection is expected to establish the design and wiring of the fence, the nature of its electrical supply and whether the installation complied with applicable safety requirements.
The incident has drawn attention to the risks created when electrified fencing is privately installed without adequate technical safeguards. Police and officials have previously cautioned against using live electric fencing around agricultural fields, while authorities have urged farmers to use approved measures to deter wild animals. The investigation and the scheduled joint inspection will determine whether the fence in Hirapur involved unauthorised wiring or other safety violations.
