Cops grill Corporation, EB officials over woman’s death by electrocution in Chennai

CHENNAI: The Anna Nagar police on Thursday (August 27) questioned assistant engineers from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Tangedco after it was established that the 59-year-old woman, who was found unconscious near Anna Nagar 5th avenue on August 23, had died of electrocution.

The deceased woman, M Kalavathi (59), was found unconscious in 1.5 feet deep stagnant water in a pit on Sunday (August 23) night.

Kalavathi worked as a housekeeping staff at a sweet stall in Anna Nagar.

On Sunday evening, she went to a church and was returning home when the incident happened.

Her daughter, Sangeetha (28), told mediapersons that her mother called her over phone around 9 pm on Sunday and told her that she would return home late.

According to Sangeetha, the police told her that her mother seemed to have suffered an electric shock, as the rescuers felt electric shock while handling her.

While it was initially reported that the woman fell in a pit dug for stormwater drain works, GCC claimed that the works were completed several days ago.

After it was established that Kalavathi had died of electrocution, the police altered the case to negligence and on Thursday summoned the assistant engineers from GCC and Tangedco for questioning.