SHAKUNTLA DEVI Vs. STATE OF J&K AND ORS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner-Shakuntla Devi was at her house on February 25, 2004, when she suffered intensive burn injuries for which she was operated in Government Medical College Hospital Jammu. The burn injuries were so serious that her right lower limb below knee and left upper limb above elbow had to be amputated, to save her life. These burn injuries had resulted because of the uncontrolled escape of high voltage electric energy from a Transformer which the Power Development Department of the State Government had installed at a distance of about 300 meters from the petitioner's house. The cause of flow of uncontrolled high voltage electric energy was that one lead of 11 KV DO set was hanging in air due to bursting of one insulator of upper limb of the DO set, which due to wind storm, had touched L.A. earth wire at pole and L.A. earth wire coming in contact with the neutral earth wire through the clamp, had resulted in escape of high voltage electric energy to the residential area where the petitioner's house was located.

(2.) The petitioner has approached this Court seeking a Command to the State-respondents to pay her compensation of Rs.20.00 lac for her permanent disablement for rest of her life.

(3.) In its Response to the Writ Petition, the Staterespondents have not denied the escape of high voltage electric current to the residential area in which the petitioner's house was situated and the disablement suffered by the petitioner because of the amputation of her right lower limb and left upper limb.