Khandapara: A man was electrocuted after inadvertently touching an electric wire while plucking flowers from the local block office premises Sunday morning. Locals alleged the electric wire was drawn deliberately to prevent flower theft from the premises.
The incident sparked tension in the area with locals staging a road blockade. The deceased was identified as Khirod Acharya (32), son of Pramod Kumar Acharya, of Chinikal Sahi under ward-12 here in Nayagarh district.
According to reports, Krushna Mohan Pattnaik worked as a jeep driver in the block office and resided along with his family on the premises. Locals frequently plucked flowers from the premises for various purposes, much to the chagrin of Pattnaik, who allegedly drew an electric wire through the plants in a bid to prevent theft of flowers.
Unaware of this, Acharya went to pluck flowers and was electrocuted. Police registered a case over a complaint lodged by Pramod and arrested Pattnaik who was later produced in a court.
Irate over the incident, locals placed the body before Khandapara fire station and staged an agitation. Vehicular movement on Khandapara-Nayagarh main road came to a standstill for more than three hours.
Hundreds of locals rushed to the spot demanding compensation to the bereaved family. Khandapara sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Niranjan Patra, IIC Anil Kumar Pradhan and tehsildar Anita Panda along with a police team reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
A compensation of `10,000 from the District Red Cross Fund was provided to the bereaved family, the tehsildar said. However, the agitators refused to relent and the stir was on till this report was filed. Acharya was the lone bread-earner of his family and has left behind with his wife and an eight-month-old daughter. PNN
