In a major legal ruling, Senior Civil Judge Ambreen Jamal ordered K-Electric (KE) to pay Rs 19.3 million in compensation to the family of eight-year-old Azhan Siddiqui, who tragically lost his life due to electrocution in 2017.
The court’s verdict, issued on Tuesday, holds K-Electric responsible for its negligence in maintaining and repairing electrical infrastructure.
The case dates back to 2017, when Azhan Siddiqui, a toddler, was electrocuted after power cables snapped during a heavy downpour in Karachi.
According to the petitioner’s lawyer, K-Electric failed to install the necessary protective cables around the electrical infrastructure, which contributed to the incident. After breaking from a power pole, the wires remained live, creating a deadly danger to anyone nearby.
The plaintiffs, Azhan’s parents, had brought the case under the Fatal Accidents Act of 1855, alleging that the electrocution was the result of K-Electric’s criminal negligence, including its failure to carry out routine checks, replace rusty wires and maintain the electrical grid.
The plaintiffs’ attorney argued that the cables, already weakened by rust and wear, could not withstand the rain.
When the cables broke, K-Electric did not respond adequately and the danger was not addressed for an extended period.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s attorney also pointed out that the negligence shown by K-Electric went beyond the failure to install protective cables, as the utility had failed to maintain the integrity of the system. The cables were in poor condition and the company had failed to carry out regular checks and maintenance despite being aware of the risks associated with old and rusty electrical infrastructure.
In its ruling, the court considered the arguments presented by the plaintiffs to be valid. It ruled that K-Electric should compensate Azhan’s family Rs 14.5 million due to their claims of proven negligence. Furthermore, the court awarded the petitioners an additional Rs 4.82 million, along with interest at the prevailing bank rate, from the date of verdict until the compensation was paid in full.
Earlier in August, the daughter of a man who died in an electrocution incident filed a lawsuit against K-Electric, claiming damages exceeding Rs 30 million. The case was filed before the Municipal Court and the plaintiff alleged that K-Electric’s negligence caused the death of her father, Gulzar.
According to the petition, Gulzar, a resident of Landhi Manshera Colony and a driver by profession, was electrocuted on July 20 in Majid Colony area. The incident occurred due to electrical cables falling into the water accumulated on the road.
