KARACHI: A court has issued a notice to K-Electric (KE) in a lawsuit filed by a woman seeking over Rs33 million in damages over alleged negligence on the part of the power utility that led to her father’s death from electrocution.

The plaintiff, Kiran, 19, filed a lawsuit before the senior civil judge (South) through advocate Usman Farooq, seeking over Rs33m in damages under the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855, from the KE through its chief executive officer following the death of her father.

“You [defendant KE] are hereby summoned to appear in this court in person or by a pleader duly instructed and able to answer all material questions relating to the suit or who shall be accompanied by some person able to answer all questions on the 05th day of September 2024 at 08:30 am to answer the claim and as the day fixed for appearance you must be prepared to produce on that all the witnesses upon whose evidence and all the document upon which you intend to reply in support of your defence,” the court said in its order.

The plaintiff submitted before the court that on July 20, her father, Gulzar, a driver, was electrocuted to death after stepping into stagnant water near the Nadra office in Majeed Colony, Landhi. She alleged that the exposed electric cables left by the KE in the water led to her father’s death due to negligence and lack of maintenance.

Teenage daughter of an electrocution victim moves court against power utility

Advocate Farooq stated that the plaintiff was seeking justice not only for her personal loss but also to hold the KE accountable for the unsafe conditions they created, endangering the lives of many others.

“This lawsuit aims to secure compensation for the loss of her father and to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again,” he added.

“This incident was not an isolated case of unfortunate circumstances but a direct result of the defendant’s failure to ensure public safety by properly securing electrical installations in an area prone to water accumulation,” the plaintiff submitted.

Advocate Farooq contended that the police were called to the scene, where they prepared medical reports and instructed the family to proceed with the burial, promising that an FIR would be registered later. However, despite those assurances, the plaintiff had been unable to register the case against the KE, while that civil suit was filed to pursue the justice.

He stated that the deceased was the sole breadwinner for his family, which includes five daughters, a son, and his wife.

Advocate Farooq added that the deceased was earning around Rs80,000 per month by driving a loader truck before his sudden death, which has left the family in severe financial distress.

The plaintiff’s counsel also submitted that although the deceased was 49 years old at the time of his death and could not be expected to provide financial support for his family indefinitely, but he could have continued to support them until the age of 70.

He asked the court to decree the sum of Rs33,092,000 against the defendants to pay as damages/compensation to the plaintiff.

The court was also asked that the profit/markup at the rate of 21 per cent per annum might also be paid to the plaintiff.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024