K-Electric fined Rs19.3m over child's electrocution

In 2017, 8-year-old Azhan Siddiqui was electrocuted after wires snapped during a heavy downpour in Karachi.

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In a significant legal ruling, Senior Civil Judge Ambreen Jamal ordered K-Electric (KE) to pay Rs 19.3 million in compensation to the family of eight-year-old Azhan Siddiqui, who tragically lost his life due to electrocution in 2017.

The court’s verdict, delivered on Tuesday, held K-Electric responsible for its negligence in maintaining and repairing electrical infrastructure.

The case dates back to 2017, when Azhan Siddiqui, a young child, was electrocuted after electric wires snapped during a heavy downpour in Karachi.

According to the petitioner's lawyer, K-Electric failed to install the necessary guard wires around the electrical infrastructure, contributing to the incident. Having snapped from an electric pole, the cables remained live, creating a deadly hazard for anyone nearby.

The plaintiffs, Azhan’s parents, had filed the case under the Fatal Accidents Act of 1855, claiming that the electrocution resulted from K-Electric’s criminal negligence, including its failure to perform routine checks, replace rusted wires, and maintain the power grid.

The lawyer for the plaintiffs argued that the cables, which were already weakened due to rust and wear, could not withstand the rain.

When the wires snapped, K-Electric did not respond adequately, and the hazard was left untreated for an extended period.

During the hearing, the petitioner's lawyer also pointed out that the negligence shown by K-Electric extended beyond the failure to install guard wires, as the utility company had failed to maintain the system's integrity. The cables were in poor condition, and the company had neglected to carry out regular maintenance and checks despite being aware of the risks associated with old and rusted electrical infrastructure.

In its ruling, the court found the arguments presented by the plaintiffs to be valid. It decreed that K-Electric should compensate Azhan’s family with Rs 14.5 million due to their proven negligence claims. In addition, the court granted the petitioners an additional Rs 4.82 million, along with interest at the prevailing bank rate, from the date of the verdict until the compensation was fully paid.

Previously, in August, the daughter of a man who died from an electrocution incident filed a lawsuit against K-Electric, claiming damages exceeding Rs 30 million. The case was lodged at the City Court, with the plaintiff alleging that K-Electric's negligence led to the death of her father, Gulzar.

According to the petition, Gulzar, a resident of Landhi Manshera Colony and a driver by profession, was electrocuted on July 20 in the Majid Colony area. The incident occurred due to fallen electrical wires in water accumulated on the road.