Vadodara: A 15-year-old Class XI student, Dev Shah, son of city-based dentist Dr Prashant Shah, died after allegedly suffering an electric shock from a pole while practising football at the New Era Senior Secondary School ground in Nizampura on Saturday evening.Dev was practising with his friends as they prepared for an upcoming football tournament when the incident occurred.According to former Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) mayor Bharat Shah, who is known to the victim’s family, Dev climbed onto a shade to retrieve a football and allegedly used a nearby pole for support while climbing down. The pole was reportedly electrically charged, causing a severe shock.Dev collapsed and was rushed for medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries. His body was sent to SSG Hospital for a postmortem examination.Fatehgunj police have registered an accidental death case and are investigating how the pole became electrically charged and whether any electrical or safety lapses led to the incident. Investigators are examining the wiring, electrical installation and maintenance of the pole and are also trying to establish who installed it and was responsible for its upkeep.Shah said the poles were not installed by the Madhya Gujarat Vij Company Limited (MGVCL) and had reportedly been installed only about a month ago. He also questioned why the power supply to the poles was allegedly not switched off immediately after the incident.“There is negligence somewhere because even after the incident nobody switched off the power supply to the poles. Anything could have happened,” Shah said, stressing the need for adequate safety measures at a school ground regularly used by children.Meanwhile, the Vadodara Parents Association (VPA) alleged “gross negligence” by the school administration. The association claimed it had previously raised concerns about students’ safety and shortcomings on the school premises with the principal on phone, but alleged that no adequate corrective measures were taken.The VPA has demanded an impartial investigation by the police and education department. Describing the incident as a result of alleged negligence rather than merely an accident, the association called for accountability from those responsible for student safety.The school administration expressed condolences over Dev’s death and maintained that student safety had always been its highest priority. Principal Leena Nair said that no such incident had occurred in the school’s 34-year history.Nair said the electrical pole was inspected by an authorised electrical contractor at around 9.30pm after the incident to check for active leakage. She added that no active electrical leakage was detected during the inspection.The principal said that a detailed inquiry was underway to determine the exact circumstances and cause of the incident, while necessary precautionary and preventive measures were being taken.
