UPSC aspirant's death: Probe finds wire with "damaged insulation" was touching gate

A magisterial probe into the death of a 26-year-old civil services aspirant from electrocution in Patel Nagar last week has found that it happened as the iron gate he accidentally touched was in contact with an open wire of a water pump.

The probe into Nilesh Rai's death was conducted by the Patel Nagar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).

On Monday, Rai was electrocuted after he touched the gate that had electricity running through it following heavy rains in central Delhi's Patel Nagar area. The engineer and a native of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh had stepped out of his PG accommodation to buy something.

In the probe report, the Patel Nagar SDM stated that wire of a water pump was in contact with the iron gate that the victim touched accidentally, leading to his death.

The wire with "damaged insulation" was found touching the iron gate at several points. This wire supplied electricity to a water pump, it stated.

"Heavy rainfall on the day of the incident likely exacerbated the situation, resulting in the death of victim Nilesh Rai," the report stated.

The SDM, in his report, also recommended police verification of all PG accommodations and a comprehensive drive by the MCD to regulate and ensure the safety of all such accommodations and residential libraries.