HP High Court Seeks Answers from State, HPSEBL and RVNL Over Electrician’s Death
SHIMLA, AUGUST 13, 2026: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the State government, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) over the death of an electricity board employee who died after coming in contact with an energised electricity connection while on duty.
The Court took suo motu cognizance and registered a Public Interest Litigation on the basis of a representation submitted by the wife of deceased electrician Baru Ram, who died on July 5, 2026.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C. Negi observed that the matter raised serious questions regarding compliance with safety norms and the responsibility of agencies involved in the work.
The Court noted that, according to the comments submitted by HPSEBL, the liability for the incident was being shifted to private contractors, including RVNL, its joint venture contractor M/s Airef Engineers Private Limited, and sub-contractor M/s Nihal Infratech.
The Bench observed that such shifting of responsibility appeared to overlook the safety norms and obligations that ought to have been followed, ultimately resulting in the death of Baru Ram.
The Court further remarked that, in such circumstances, the family of the deceased was being left without an effective remedy.
The High Court has sought responses from the concerned respondents and listed the matter for further hearing on September 23, 2026.
The proceedings could have wider implications for fixing accountability and ensuring adherence to safety protocols where government employees and private contractors work jointly on electricity and infrastructure projects.
