T’puram: A 58-year-old man and his son were found electrocuted in a water canal inside a tapioca field near Kilimanoor block panchayat office on Tuesday morning. Police suspect the deaths were caused by an illegally electrified fence set up to deter wild boars. The deceased were identified as Kochunni and his son, Akhil Kannan, residents of Kuriyidathukonam. Their bodies were discovered around 9am by Gopalan, a relative and the cultivator of the leased farmland where banana, tapioca and paddy are grown. Preliminary investigations indicate that two parallel metal wires were drawn across the field and connected to an external power source to prevent wild boar intrusion. KSEB officials, who inspected the site, confirmed that arrangements were made to illegally channel electricity through the inner metal fencing without mandatory approval or adherence to safety standards. Police believe the victims may have come into contact with the live wire and suffered fatal shocks. However, officers said the exact cause of death will be confirmed only after forensic and post-mortem examinations. A police team led by Attingal deputy SP G Santosh Kumar, senior KSEB officials and a forensic team conducted a detailed inspection at the scene. Interestingly, while uprooted tapioca plants were found near the bodies, sections of the metal fencing were missing, raising suspicions that parts of the fence were removed after the incident. The field belongs to Narayanan Potti of Kuriyidath Mutt, who does not reside there. Police found indications that an electricity connection may have been drawn from the house of Narayanan’s brother, Venu Potti. Both Gopalan and Venu are being questioned. Kochunni is survived by his wife Ambika and daughter Athulya. Akhil, a construction worker, is survived by his wife Chinnu and two children, Akhilesh and Adesh. The family belongs to a poor dalit household that depended on daily wage labour for survival. The bodies were sent to Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital for postmortem and later cremated in the evening. Police said further action will follow based on the forensic report.
