College Student Dies of Electrocution in Walajabad, Locals Block Highway in Protest

A 17-year-old college student died of electrocution after accidentally stepping on a snapped live power cable at a grove near Vallappakkam in Walajabad on Sunday afternoon, sparking protests that led to a blockade on the Walajabad-Tambaram Highway.

The deceased was identified as Varaprasad, a resident of Vallappakkam and a first-year B.Com student at a private college in Pallavaram. According to the Walajabad police, Varaprasad was cutting firewood alongside three friends at a grove along the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu bypass road when he came into contact with the exposed live cable. The electric shock threw him to the ground, and he died on the spot.

Following the fatal incident, over 100 residents from Vallappakkam gathered outside the Walajabad electricity office to stage a demonstration. The protesters accused Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) officials of negligence for failing to remove the snapped wire. Expressing anger over the lack of immediate action against the concerned officials, the crowd blocked traffic along the Walajabad-Tambaram Highway for nearly an hour.

Senior police officers intervened and held talks with the agitators, assuring them that appropriate measures would be taken. The crowd subsequently dispersed.

Police personnel sent the victim's body to the Kancheepuram district government hospital for a postmortem examination. TNPDCL officials noted that an inquiry is under way and that the process for granting compensation to the family will be initiated once the report is finalized. Police are continuing to probe the exact sequence of events.