A 30-year-old man was electrocuted after accidentally coming in contact with an illegal electric wire trap set up for wild boars in Palakkad. The deceased has been identified as Ravi Prasad, a resident of Mullathupadi in Thathanampulli, Kulukkallur, near Pattambi.

The tragedy occurred when Ravi Prasad was returning home from work. According to local sources, his motorcycle broke down on the way, forcing him to walk back. To cut his journey short, he decided to take an alternative route through a nearby agricultural field, unaware that a live electric cable had been laid in the field to ward off wild boars.

The tragedy came to light the following morning when the owner of the paddy field went to inspect his crop. Upon finding Ravi Prasad’s body in the field, he immediately alerted the Koppam police. Following an initial inquiry, the Koppam police registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the landowner for setting up the dangerous and illegal trap.

Setting up high-voltage electric traps to protect crops from wild animals is strictly prohibited under law, yet such practices persist in agricultural pockets of Kerala, often leading to deaths. An investigation into the incident is underway, and the police are probing the source of the power connection used for the trap.