Kolkata: A day after several people lost their lives to electrocution in rain-battered Kolkata and its adjoining areas, India Secular Front (ISF) MLA Naushad Siddique on Wednesday moved a public interest litigation (PIL) before the Calcutta High Court seeking accountability and compensation.
The petition reportedly highlights how recurring incidents of electrocution turn monsoonal flooding into a civic nightmare. “Why do these tragedies become routine whenever Kolkata’s streets are waterlogged?” the PIL questioned, urging a judicial probe into
systemic lapses. Siddique has also sought immediate financial relief for the bereaved families. The court has admitted the matter and fixed the hearing for Thursday before a division bench of Justice Sujay Paul and Justice Smita Das De.
The deaths occurred after overnight downpours submerged streets and left exposed wires in standing water. Victims were fatally electrocuted on accidental contact. As the city struggles with the aftermath, Siddique’s legal move, legal observers said, has sharpened focus on the intersection of infrastructure gaps and public safety
in Kolkata’s power network.