Metro sees another death, but this time it’s a thief

He had come to steal copper wires at Barakhamba station, came in contact with live cable and was electrocuted

Metro sees another death, but this time it's a thief

He had come to steal copper wires at Barakhamba station, came in contact with live cable and was electrocuted

Stealing copper wires is a petty crime. But it may turn into a fatal tragedy if the wires around are live. A thief learnt this lesson the hard way on Wednesday evening as he tried to steal copper wires from the underground Barakhamba Metro station. He came in contact with high-voltage wires and was electrocuted.

On New Year's Eve, the thief, armed with a hacksaw and a torch, entered an auxiliary power sub-station to allegedly steal copper wires. While cutting the wires, however, he came in contact with a 33-kv power supply line and was burnt to death. "His body was burnt so badly that he couldn't be identified," said a Metro official, on condition of anonymity.

The incident happened at 6.12 pm on Wednesday. "It is yet to be ascertained how he entered the station. But probably he used the common entrance. As carrying a hacksaw is not prohibited in the Metro network, he must have been let in by the security," said an official of the Central Industrial Security Force, the agency guarding the Delhi Metro network.

The main entry to the sub-station is from the platform area of the Metro station. There is another door at the backside of the underground building. However, it was found locked. "It seems the thief got a friendly entry into the sub-station room from the Metro station," said a source.

However, the Metro insists the thief entered their premises forcibly. Anuj Dayal, the Delhi Metro spokesperson, said, "Preliminary investigations suggest that he had forcibly entered the auxiliary sub-station to steal metal
wire but came in contact with high-voltage cables. The police are investigating the case."