Live wire in Delhi park kills lawyer, dog

NEW DELHI: Shocking neglect on the part of civic authorities claimed the lives of a 26-year-old lawyer and his dog, both electrocuted by a live wire left unguarded at a park in northwest Delhi on Sunday night.
The victim, Gaurav Rana, was taking an after-dinner stroll with his Labrador, Caesar, at a park in Vaishali, near Pitampura, when he accidentally stepped on the coil of live wire at a dark corner of the park.
Police said Gaurav’s legs got entangled in the wire and the shock knocked him out. The dog appears to have heroically tried to save his master by attempting to pull him away but was electrocuted as well. The animal was found holding on to Gaurav’s jacket.
The family said Gaurav’s father had repeatedly complained to civic authorities about the wire but no action was taken.
The bodies of Gaurav Rana and his dog, both electrocuted by a live wire in a park, were discovered late at night when the family went looking for them in the park. They said Gaurav he had left his house around 10.45pm for his customary night walk with his dog.
Worried family members of Gaurav went looking for him around midnight when he did not respond to their repeated calls. A group of neighbours had heard his cries and reached the park by then.
“There was no light in the park and the best we could see was a man and his dog lying unconscious. The body was lying face-down and so could not be recognized,” said neighbour who had reached the spot.
The residents called the police. “We asked the PCR driver to drive into the park because we couldn’t see much with out torch,” said a family member.
“We found a live wire entangled around Gaurav’s foot and removed it using a stick,” said a friend of Gaurav. He was rushed to Max Hospital in Pitampura where he was declared brought dead.
Gaurav’s father, Rajinder Singh Rana, a senior bar council member at the Delhi High Court said he had been writing to the municipal corporation about the live wire for the past few months. “I knew something like this would happen to someone, but never imagined it would be my son,” said Rana.
Gaurav himself had recently written to the MCD asking for the light pole to be repaired. His family members said Gaurav had a law degree from Delhi University and was practicing with his father. The family had planned his marriage for later this year.
Meanwhile, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner, P K Gupta, has ordered an inquiry into the incident and said all parks would be inspected within 48 hours. “We have asked the zonal deputy commissioner to look into the matter and submit a report,” said Gupta.
However, corporation officials, after meeting the victim’s family, said the exact circumstances of Gaurav’s death weren’t clear.
Police said a case of causing death due to negligence has been registered against unknown persons based on the complaint by the Rana family and efforts are being made to establish culpability.