Illegal electric fence electrocutes 15-year-old to death in Kerala, injures two

A 15-year-old boy died of electrocution after coming into contact with an illegal electric fence in Kerala’s Malappuram district.

The victim, identified as Ananthu, along with two of his friends, Yadhu Krishnan and Shanu Vijay, had gone fishing in a canal in the district’s Nilambur area, when they accidentally touched the charged electric fence on Saturday evening. The fence was reportedly installed to trap wild boars and had been illegally drawing electricity from a Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) single-phase power line. Yadhu and Shanu and also sustained injuries in the incident.

The police have arrested the man accused of setting up the trap, identified as Vineesh. Local residents claimed he regularly enters the forest to set animal traps and that this fence was installed to catch wild boars. They alleged there were multiple pending cases against him, and have called for strict action.

The death also sparked political controversy in the ongoing Nilambur bypoll campaign. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) organised protests, holding the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) responsible for negligence in preventing such illegal installations. CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan suggested the incident might involve political conspiracy and called for investigating whether the protests were planned in advance. He also requested authorities examine the accused’s phone records.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, who represents the Wayanad constituency, expressed condolences over the incident. She emphasized the need for safety and vigilance, offered sympathy to Ananthu’s family, and wished the injured children a swift recovery.

In a similar incident on May 26, two brothers, Nithin Biju and Ivin Biju, died of electrocution in Kozhikode after a live electric wire fell into a stream near their residence. The wire broke during strong winds and came into contact with the water, electrocuting the boys who were reportedly fishing or washing fruit in the stream.

Last year in April, a wild elephant was electrocuted on private agricultural land in Wayanad district's Ammaani area. The elephant likely died when it came into contact with a live electric line, possibly while uprooting a coconut tree or becoming entangled in an electric fence.

Written by Sneha A Suneeth