Pune: Deaf and Mute Man, 29, Dies of Electrocution in Yerawada; Illegal Power Connection Under Scanner
Pune, 13th November 2026: A 29-year-old deaf and mute man died of electrocution after a high-tension electricity cable reportedly caused an electric current to enter a tin-sheet house in the Jai Jawan Nagar area of Yerawada. The incident has once again brought the issue of illegal electricity connections in the locality under the spotlight.
The deceased has been identified as Harish Gautam Mohite, a resident of Jai Jawan Nagar. He was inside his house and walking towards the toilet when he suffered a severe electric shock and died.
The victim’s family and local residents have blamed negligence by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) for the incident. However, MSEDCL officials have claimed that the family had allegedly taken an illegal power connection from the utility’s feeder box without obtaining an authorised connection, leading to the accident.
According to MSEDCL officials, the Mohite family had allegedly used a worn-out cable to draw electricity illegally for their house. The cable had been damaged at several places, causing current to pass into an iron cupboard inside the house. Harish suffered an electric shock while walking towards the toilet, resulting in his death, said Deepak Patil, executive engineer of MSEDCL’s Nagar Road division.
An electrical inspector has visited the spot and conducted a panchnama. The utility is awaiting the inspector’s report to establish the exact circumstances that led to the incident, Patil said.
Yerawada police have registered an accidental death case in connection with the incident. The body was sent to Sassoon General Hospital for a postmortem examination. As the exact cause of death has not yet been established, the viscera has been preserved for further examination.
Senior police inspector Yuvraj Nandre said the police had written to MSEDCL officials, who subsequently inspected the spot. However, their report is yet to be received.
