Karnataka High Court directs State to consider compensating parents of teen electrocuted while carrying flagpole to hoist national flag

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the State government to offer compensation to the kin of a student who died of electrocution after a pole he was carrying to hoist the national flag on Independence day came into contact with a live wire..A Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice NS Sanjay Gowda directed the State government to instruct the concerned Deputy Commissioner (DC) to look into the matter. "We direct the state government to instruct the concerned Deputy Commissioner to look into the said incident. The State government shall consider immediately offering compensation to parents of the deceased boy. The Court also ordered the State to ensure that two other boys who were injured in the incident be provided proper medical treatment. "The State shall also ensure that proper medical treatment is extended to the other two boys (Shashank and Pawan). The Deputy Commissioner of the district shall ensure that both of them get proper medical treatment," the order said. .Government should bear the cost of treatment being extended to the other injured boys, the Court added. .The suo-motu petition was initiated in 2019, based on a letter highlighting the incident of death of a minor student in a Backward Classes Pre-Metric Boys' Hostel, run by the State Government..The incident had taken place at a government school in Karikere village, on August 15, when Chandan, aged 15 years got electrocuted after a pole he was carrying to hoist the national flag on Independence day came into contact with a live overhead wire. Two other boys were also similarly electrocuted. While Chandan died immediately, the other two are undergoing treatment at Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital, Tumakuru.Advocate BV Vidyulatha, who is the amicus curiae in the case, had brought to the notice of the court various newspaper reports regarding the incident..The Court instructed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) to file a detailed report regarding the incident and also directed the DC to produce a certificate mentioning the cause of death of Chandan. The Court also sought medical certificates regarding the health status of other two boys. The matter was posted for hearing again on September 6.