Mumbai Police probe Lalbaug electrocution deaths, no arrests yet

Nearly three weeks after an electrocution incident during the Ganpati festival in Lalbaug that claimed two lives and left four others injured police are yet to arrest the accused named in the case with them still trying to establish who should be held accountable for the tragedyPolice sources told this newspaper that Kamal Shetty the operator of the temporary beverage stall near the Kalachowkie Vibhag Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal where the incident occurred may not be entirely responsible for the deathsThe accused is not absconding but police are still examining the circumstances that led to the electrocution and the respective roles of those involved in the electrical arrangementsSafety lapsesWith police sources indicating that Shetty may not be entirely responsible the central question is whether investigators have identified the other people who may have contributed to the circumstances leading to the electrocutionThis includes examining who installed or modified the wiring and whether those responsible for arranging the temporary electrical setup complied The circumstances of the incident also raised concerns about crowd management The road was reportedly packed with devotees and eyewitnesses said people were jostling for space as crowds moved in opposite directionsEyewitnesses also said the congestion made it difficult for ambulances to reach the spot Whether crowding contributed to the incident and whether any lapses in crowd management played a role in the deaths would need to be established separately A special team is set to investigate this caseSujata Thodeta one of the deceased File picsAccused bookedAn FIR was registered against Shetty under Sections 1061 and 125b of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS relating to causing death by negligence and endangering life or personal safety resulting in grievous hurt respectively However the absence of an arrest weeks after the incident raises questions about what the investigation has established so far and why the question of responsibility remains unresolvedOfficialSpeakldquoIt remains to be established whether the stall operator acted alone or whether other individuals had a role in the electrical arrangementsrdquo an official privy to the investigation said ldquoA faulty or unauthorised connection does not establish the criminal responsibility of every person associated with the stall or the mandal The investigation needs to establish who carried out the work and whether any specific act of negligence contributed to the deathsUnauthorised electrical connectionPreliminary findings by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport BEST undertaking pointed to unauthorised modifications to a temporary electrical connection at the site BEST said the electricity meter had been sanctioned for the Ganpati mandal while its initial investigation indicated that the nearby stall had allegedly drawn an unauthorised connection from itBEST issued a notice to the Kalachowkie Vibhag Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal over the faulty electrical installation The mandalrsquos organisers denied knowledge of the unauthorised connection These findings raise questions about who arranged and modified the wiring who connected the stall to the supply and who was responsible for ensuring that the installation was safe