NHRC flags human rights violation in Class 4 UP student’s death by electrocution, seeks reports

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday sought detailed reports from several officials on the death of a 12-year-old student who was electrocuted after coming in contact with an 11 kV power line near his school building in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district.

The Commission said it was taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, without waiting for any formal complaint. It issued notices to the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (MD) of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL), the Ballia District Magistrate (DM), and the Superintendent of Police (SP).

“The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that on November 2, 2026, a 12-year-old fourth-standard student of a government primary school died after coming into contact with an 11 KV power line passing close to the roof of the school building in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh,” the Commission said in a press release.

The incident took place on November 2, when the Class 4 student at a government primary school in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, reportedly came in contact with the high-voltage power line passing close to the roof of the school building.

According to the media report cited by the NHRC, teachers had asked the student to climb onto the kitchen roof and pluck a bottle gourd for the mid-day meal.

Police arrested the acting principal Vijay Shankar, the assistant teacher Anil Kumar and the shiksha mitra (contractual instructor) Deep Chandra Ram in connection with the incident on November 3.

Shankar and Kumar were suspended late Monday night for negligence and dereliction of duty, and the process to terminate Chandra Ram's services was also initiated.

The incident also triggered anger among villagers, who staged a protest at the school.

“The contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights,” the Commission said, issuing notices to the MD of UPPCL, Ballia DM and the SP seeking detailed reports of the incident within two weeks.