The Madurai bench of the the Madras High Court has awarded a compensation of Rs five lakh to the family of a farm worker who died of electrocution along with his bullock in 2011.
Justice T S Sivagnanam directed Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) to pay a compensation with in eight weeks.
Partly allowing a writ petition filed by the wife of the deceased V Nagammal, the judge said according to the writ petitioner her husband Vellaichamy had died when an overhead electric wire passing over the agricultural land taken on lease by him snapped and fell on him and the bullock standing next to him.
Rejecting Tangedco's contention that the petitioner must approach a civil court seeking compensation, the judge fixed the notional income of the petitioner's husband to be Rs 4,500 a month and awarded a compensation of Rs 5 lakh.
