A distressing picture going viral on social media purportedly shows Rai's upper body stuck to the gate with his feet in the water and wires dangling from an electric pole.
A 26-year-old civil services aspirant in Delhi was electrocuted after he touched his PG accommodation's iron gate that had electricity running through it on a waterlogged road amid heavy rain, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place in central Delhi's Patel Nagar area on Monday afternoon.
Nilesh Rai, an engineer and a native of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, had stepped out of his PG accommodation to buy something.
A distressing picture going viral on social media purportedly shows Rai's upper body stuck to the gate with his feet in the water and wires dangling from an electric pole.
Information was received at Ranjit Nagar police station at 2.43 pm on Monday that a man was electrocuted near Power Gym, close to Patel Nagar metro station, news agency PTI cited Police as saying.
Atul Dua, the owner of Rai's PG, said he had been living in the PG for the last three years and was preparing for the civil services.
Around 2.30 pm on Monday, Rai went out to buy something. Later, a passerby informed the PG staff that a man was stuck to an iron gate. Many people rushed to the spot but no one dared to touch him as they feared getting electrocuted, PTI quoted Dua as saying.
He said Rai's father is an advocate and mother is a teacher. He has two sisters and was planning to visit home for Raksha Bandhan.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said that after reaching the spot, it was found that the man was electrocuted after he touched the iron gate on the waterlogged road.
"The person was taken to RML Hospital, where he was declared brought dead by the doctors," he said.
An FIR was registered at Ranjit Nagar police station and forensic teams visited the spot, the DCP said, adding that further investigation is underway.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shehzad Poonawalla said the incident was not "negligence" but a "state-sponsored murder". "AAP GOVT IS Responsible 26 year old UPSC aspirant residing in a PG at Patel Nagar area in the national capital got electrocuted. Is life so cheap? Water logging with little rain and complete criminal negligence of Delhi govt," Poonawalla said on X.
"You take credit for free water & free bijli! Now don’t blame others for this murder. The alleyway leading to victim Nilesh’s PG accommodation was severely waterlogged just after a little rain. To avoid having to walk in the puddle, victim Nilesh decided to use the support of the gate and climb over the pool," he added.
"At that time one of the exposed wires was in contact with the water, which in turn caused the gate to be electrically charged. When Nilesh clutched at the metal gate, he was electrocuted. On 29Th June more than 5-6 people lost their lives in Delhi due to water logging. Many such cases have taken place. But priority of AAP is blame game & to do PCs to defend their corrupt leader in Sharab ghotala Should Kejriwal not resign? Atleast now?" he said.