Bengaluru: A 59-year-old man demanded the utility of the power supply after the transformer explosion caused a short circuit and fire accident in his house, parrying all its electrical equipment.
The new state consumer court ordered the utility to pay Rs 6 lakh with an interest in the damage suffered by customers, apart from Rs 20,000 as compensation.
SL Shankar, a resident of Nagroor Village in Somwarpet Taluk, Kodagu, was at home on August 5, 2017 as heavy rain destroyed the area.
The past day, 11kv electricity lines broke and fell on the Bajegundi electric transformer which caused a short circuit.
Most of the Shankar electrical equipment in the house was damaged, causing the flames which were then extinguished by firefighting personnel.
Shankar filed a police complaint about the accident and notified the Somwarpet Sub-Division of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Ltd (CESCO).
With the authorities did not pay attention to his suffering, Shankar decided to demand the implementing director and local engineer Cesco in the Madikeri District Consumer Forum for damage.
On November 17, 2018, the Madikeri Consumer Court decided that MD, Executive Engineer and Executive Engineer Assistant Somwarpet Sub-Divison Cesco had to pay RS 7.5 lakh customers as compensation and RS 25,000 to cause mental misery because of the entire episode.
The utility claims that the incident is God’s actions and natural disasters and not due to negligence or lack in their services.
On March 15, 2019, the opposite parties, including MD Cesco, appealed to Consumers of Karnataka against the negotiating commission on the district consumer forum verdict, which stated that the case must be taken with a civil court and not a consumer forum.
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In the fresh verdict spoken on October 8, 2021, the State Consumer Forum noted that short circuit, and the resulting fire was caused by the Shankar Customer’s residence after the transformer explosion, which occurred after the tree branch fell on the power line.
Transformers and power channels are owned by Cesco and Shankar are their customers and, therefore, short circuit and fire accidents caused by their homes are their responsibilities and they cannot avoid it to call it God’s actions.
The State Forum takes into account police reports on fire accidents and estimates of damage caused by household appliances.
The court ruled that MD Cesco and his representatives had to pay Rs 6 lakh to Shankar customers along with interest, regardless of the additional Rs 10,000 as compensation to cause mental suffering and difficulties and 10,000 rs of court costs.
All payments must be made within two months, the Consumer Court decided.