The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the railways and the police chief of Jharkhand over electrocution of six contract labourers while they were installing a truss pole to support the overhead railway power lines in Dhanbad rail division, officials said on Thursday.
Apparently, the incident, which took place on May 29, amounts to "contributory negligence" of the public servant who "failed to supervise the work of the contractor effectively", and therefore, it is a matter of concern for the Commission, the rights panel said in a statement.
The National Human Rights Commission said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that six contract labourers were electrocuted while installing a truss pole to support the overhead railway power line near Nichitpur railway crossing, on the Dhanbad-Gaya section in Dhanbad rail division.
Reportedly, the contractor had not taken steps to get the power supply blocked before starting the work, it said.
The Commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, amounts to the violation of human rights of the labourers.
Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chairman of the Railway Board, and the director general of police of Jharkhand, seeking a detailed report within four weeks, the statement said. -- PTI