Assam: Youth electrocuted in Boko, locals blame APDCL for negligence

A 26-year-old man, Vijay Das, died of electrocution in Kaliabari village under Boko on Friday morning, triggering widespread outrage among locals against the Assam Power Distribution Corporation Limited (APDCL).

According to eyewitnesses, the tragedy occurred when a live electric wire fell to the ground while Vijay Das was attempting to take his cattle outside. He came in contact with the wire and suffered a fatal shock. Villagers rushed him to the Boko Primary Health Center, but doctors declared him brought dead.

Following the incident, a Boko Police team visited the site and sent the body to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) for postmortem. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

However, anger erupted in the village as residents blamed APDCL's negligence for the incident. Dozens of villagers, along with the victim's grieving family—including his wife and parents- marched to the APDCL Boko office in protest. They alleged that no employees were present at the office until 1 PM, even though lights, fans, and the AC were left running, raising questions about official accountability.

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Local resident Anil Das stated that despite repeated complaints, the department failed to repair the faulty power line, leading to the death of Vijay Das, who was the sole breadwinner of his family.

The villagers have submitted a memorandum to Boko Revenue Circle Officer Divas Bardoloi, demanding:

A high-level government inquiry into the incident

Immediate action against the negligent APDCL officials

Transfer of departmental engineers

Financial assistance and compensation to the bereaved family

The incident has sparked a call for greater accountability in basic service departments and raised concerns over public safety due to poorly maintained infrastructure.