In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has discharged two employers accused of culpable homicide following the electrocution deaths of two workers engaged in decorating a storefront. The case revolved around allegations that the workers had not been provided with safety gear such as helmets, safety belts, or rubber shoes while installing a signboard using an iron ladder.
Initially, a trial court and later a high court had refused to dismiss the charges, allowing prosecution under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). However, the Supreme Court found that the essential elements of the offence—knowledge or intent to cause death—were absent.
The bench, comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasized that lower courts should take a preliminary view when considering a discharge application, assessing whether the alleged offence is prima facie established. The ruling noted that the deaths were accidental, resulting from electrocution while the workers were on a metal ladder near a signboard approximately 12 feet off the ground.
The Court concluded that there was no basis for a culpable homicide charge and set aside the previous rulings, allowing the appeal and formally discharging the employers from the case.
