A 29-year-old man died after an electric current reportedly entered a tin-sheet house in Pune’s Jai Jawan Nagar area of Yerawada, prompting scrutiny of an alleged illegal power connection and the condition of electrical cables at the premises.
The deceased, Harish Gautam Mohite, was inside his house when he suffered a severe electric shock while walking towards the toilet, according to MSEDCL executive engineer Deepak Patil. Mohite was deaf and mute, and lived with his family in the Yerawada locality.
The incident has led to differing accounts about how the current entered the house. Mohite’s family and local residents have blamed alleged negligence by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. MSEDCL officials, however, have said the family allegedly drew electricity from the utility’s feeder box without an authorised connection.
According to Patil, the family allegedly used a worn-out cable to supply electricity to the house. The cable had reportedly been damaged at several points, allowing current to pass into an iron cupboard inside the structure. Mohite suffered the fatal shock after coming into contact with the electrical current, Patil said.
The account has not yet been conclusively established. An electrical inspector visited the site and conducted a panchnama, while MSEDCL is awaiting the inspector’s report to determine the exact circumstances that led to the incident. The report is expected to establish whether the fatal current flow was linked to the alleged unauthorised connection, damaged wiring, the high-tension cable or a combination of factors.
Yerawada police have registered an accidental death case. Senior police inspector Yuvraj Nandre said the police had written to MSEDCL officials, who later inspected the site, but the utility’s report has not yet been received.
Mohite’s body was sent to Sassoon General Hospital for a postmortem examination. Police said the exact cause of death had not yet been established and that viscera had been preserved for further examination.
The case highlights the safety risks that can arise when electricity is drawn through unauthorised or damaged wiring in informal housing areas. In such settlements, tin-sheet structures, exposed cables and metal household fittings can increase the risk of current leakage, but the specific safety conditions at the Yerawada house will be determined through the pending electrical and postmortem reports.
The immediate administrative response will depend on the findings of the electrical inspector and MSEDCL’s site report. Police are continuing the accidental death inquiry, while the utility’s report remains awaited.
