Child Dies Inside Anganwadi Centre After Repeated Complaints About Exposed Wires Went Unaddressed: Chhattisgarh High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance, Directs Statewide Safety Audit

"Incidents of Electrocution Are Being Reported With Alarming Frequency, Resulting in Loss of Human Lives, Cattle, and Wild Animals", High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur, deeply concerned by the deaths of two minor children in separate electrocution incidents, took suo motu cognisance of newspaper reports and monitored State accountability, preventive action, and compensation — ultimately disposing of the PIL upon satisfaction that systemic remedial measures had been put in place.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, while disposing of the PIL, issued a strong caution that isolated departmental action would not suffice and that the State must formulate a comprehensive roadmap to prevent electrocution deaths in government premises and agricultural fields alike.

The suo motu PIL was registered on the basis of two news items published in The Hitavada — Window on Chhattisgarh dated 13th September 2025, reporting the deaths of a 2½-year-old child inside an Anganwadi Centre in District Kondagaon and a 6-year-old child in District Gourela-Pendra-Marwahi who touched illegally fenced live wires in an agricultural field. The High Court directed the Chief Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh, to file a personal affidavit on action taken, preventive measures proposed, and compensation paid to the bereaved families.

The Court examined whether the State had discharged its duty of care in maintaining safe electrical infrastructure in child-welfare institutions; whether the use of direct live current connections for agricultural fencing attracted criminal liability under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; and whether isolated penal and departmental action was sufficient or whether systemic preventive action was constitutionally warranted.

Court's Observations and Judgment

On the first incident, the Court noted with grave concern that the 2½-year-old child Maheshwari Yadav had died inside the Anganwadi Centre at Village Padeli, District Kondagaon, after coming in contact with a live wire — with an enquiry revealing that a damaged power supply line had caused electrification of the channel gate. What made the tragedy more egregious, the Court noted, was that repeated complaints had been made by concerned persons about exposed wires, damaged switches, and unsafe electrical fittings in the Centre — and every single one of those complaints had remained unaddressed. The Anganwadi Worker and Assistant were dismissed and the Sector Supervisor placed under suspension.

"The Anganwadi Centres were meant exclusively for children, and parents left their wards there with hope and trust that the Anganwadi Workers and Assistants would take proper care of them."

On the second incident, the Court found that a 6-year-old child in Village Kargikala had died after a landowner, instead of installing a lawful shock-based electric fence, had connected a direct live current supply to agricultural fencing to protect his crops from cattle. The Court noted that this act of dangerous negligence had resulted in the instantaneous death of a child who was merely playing nearby — and that an FIR had been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

"The field owner had connected a direct supply current to the fencing, instead of installing a shock-based electric fence, in order to protect his crops from cattle — owing to such negligence, the child lost his life."

The Court then widened its concern beyond the two immediate incidents to address what it characterised as a systemic and recurring danger. It observed that electrocution incidents — whether caused by illegal live connections to agricultural fencing or by the immersion of live wires in water bodies for illegal fishing — were being reported with alarming frequency across the State, claiming not just human lives but also cattle and wildlife. The Court further flagged the additional danger posed during the rainy season, when flooding causes electrification of surrounding areas, yet no warning signs are displayed.

"This Court is of the considered view that isolated action would not suffice. The State is required to formulate and place on record a comprehensive roadmap outlining effective preventive measures to ensure that no human or animal life is endangered due to electrocution, whether in government premises or agricultural fields."

Upon the Chief Secretary filing his personal affidavit, the Court noted that the State had conducted enquiries in both incidents, taken departmental and penal action against those found responsible, issued statewide directions for inspection of electrical installations in all Anganwadi Centres, and directed the power distribution company to act against illegal connections. Ex-gratia of Rs.1,00,000/- had been disbursed to the family of the child who died in the Anganwadi, and Rs.4,00,000/- had been sanctioned to the mother of the child who died in the agricultural field. The Court was further informed that no fresh incident of a similar nature had come to its notice since the PIL was taken up for monitoring.

Satisfied that the State had taken consequential action and that the compensation had been disbursed, the Court found no further direction necessary.

The Chhattisgarh High Court disposed of the suo motu PIL and consigned the matter to records. The judgment stands as a strong judicial reminder that Anganwadi Centres — institutions of public trust where parents leave young children — must maintain basic electrical safety, and that complaints of unsafe infrastructure cannot be allowed to gather dust. It equally underscores that the use of direct live current as agricultural fencing constitutes not just civil negligence but criminal culpable homicide, and that the State must move beyond reactive case-by-case action to adopt a comprehensive preventive framework against electrocution deaths.

Date of Decision: 26 February 2026