HARIPUR: An additional district and sessions judge on Friday convicted six teachers of negligence and ordered them to compensate a student, who lost a leg and an arm after suffering an electric shock during morning assembly seven years ago.

The penalty came under Arsh clause of the PPC for offences relating to various kinds of injury. It is assessed at certain percentage of the value of diyat.

Khwaja Furqan Faisal Advocate told reporters that teachers of government boys primary school in Aldho area of Ghazi on Oct 22, 2014 had tasked a group of minor students with erecting an iron pole for hoisting national flag.

He said while erecting the pole, the iron bar touched high tension electricity line passing overhead, causing an explosion, killing one boy on the spot and causing severe burns to eight others.

The deceased was identified as Jibran Ali. Another student, Zahidur Rehman, succumbed to injuries after three days.

The police submitted the challan of the case before the trial court on January 7, 2015, charging six schoolteachers and two Pesco linemen with causing the incident.

During the trial, heirs of deceased schoolchildren and six injured struck a compromise with the accused.

However, Ajlam Khan, father of Zain Ali, the student who lost a hand and an arm in the incident, declined the deal, and contested the case.

Ghazi Additional District and Sessions Judge Wajid Ali, in his detailed judgment, convicted the six teachers of negligence and engaging the minor students in a risky job.

The court held that the teachers were liable to pay Arsh of Rs4.26 million to the student in lump sum.

The convicted teachers, who were on bail, were arrested from the courtroom and sent to Haripur jail.

The court, however, acquitted the two Pesco linemen as the prosecution failed to establish their offence.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2022