The Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of Nathaniel Sohtun, a Class 11 student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Mawphlang while he was preparing to take a bath at the school hostel on Sunday afternoon.
The commission has directed the school principal and the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corp Ltd to submit detailed reports into the accident by August 16.
According to students of the school, about a month ago they had complained to the school authorities that there was something wrong with the electricity but, allegedly, no action was taken. The students complained that whenever it rains electric current is transmitted through the water in at least two hostels and when the fans are switched on they emit smoke.
The school principal had stated that a different problem had been brought to her attention – namely that there was no power in one of the houses due to a hailstorm and electricians were then hired and the problem was fixed.
