A decorator has been booked in Jabalpur after an inspection found exposed and damaged electrical wires at a Durga Puja pandal in Sadar, where an estimated 500 to 600 devotees were present. The action follows the deaths of four people, including two children, from electrocution during Navratri last year.
The inspection was carried out by a team from the electricity distribution company at the pandal, which falls under the jurisdiction of Cantt police station. The team found cut and damaged wires being used in the electrical arrangement, creating a risk of electrocution for people attending the gathering.
Officials disconnected the unsafe electrical installation immediately after identifying the hazard. The electricity distribution company then lodged a complaint against decorator Sanju Sonkar at Cantt police station.
Police registered a case under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The provision deals with acts that endanger human life or the personal safety of others. The case places responsibility for the reported electrical arrangement under criminal investigation, although the report does not state whether any arrests have been made.
The inspection forms part of checks launched by the electricity distribution department at Durga Puja pandals in Jabalpur. Superintending engineer Sanjay Arora said teams had been formed to inspect installations and prevent accidents linked to unsafe electrical arrangements.
The action highlights the safety requirements involved in temporary public spaces, where electrical connections are assembled for short-duration events and used by large gatherings. At the Jabalpur pandal, the reported presence of hundreds of devotees meant that damaged or exposed wiring could affect people moving through or gathering at the site.
The inspections follow a fatal incident during Navratri last year in which four people, including two children, died of electrocution. The report does not provide details of the earlier incident or specify whether the current inspection drive covers all temporary religious structures in the city.
The immediate next step in the Jabalpur case is the police investigation into the electrical arrangement and the complaint against the decorator. The electricity distribution department’s inspection teams are also continuing checks at Durga Puja pandals to identify and disconnect unsafe installations.
