Ballia: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the reported death of a 12-year-old student who came into contact with an 11 KV power line passing close to the roof of his school building in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district, and has issued notices to the state power corporation chief and the district's top civil and police officers, the Commission said on Thursday (November 5).

Source: ANI

According to the media report cited by the Commission, the incident took place on November 2, 2026, when the Class 4 student of a government primary school reportedly came into contact with the high-voltage line. The report stated that teachers had asked him to climb onto the kitchen roof and pluck a bottle gourd for the mid-day meal. These circumstances are as reported in the media account the NHRC acted upon and are yet to be established by the reports the Commission has now sought.

Source: DevDiscourse (ANI)

The NHRC observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. It has issued notices to the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL), the Ballia District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, Ballia, calling for detailed reports on the matter within two weeks.

Source: ANI

A media report published on November 3 stated that two teachers of the school had been placed under suspension, while a recommendation had been made for termination of the services of the Shiksha Mitra posted at the school. The child's name is being withheld because he was a minor.

Source: DevDiscourse (ANI)

The Commission's notices put three separate questions before the authorities: how a high-voltage line came to pass so close to a school roof, what the school staff asked of the child on the day, and what action has followed at the district level. The replies are due within two weeks.