KARIMNAGAR, APRIL 30, 2025: In a tragic incident, an engineering final year student was reportedly electrocuted when the private hostel owner instructed him to cut the tree branches at Thimmapur on the outskirts of Karimnagar town on Tuesday evening.
Sources said that Hanamdla Vikas Reddy (22), B Tech (CSE) final year student from Jyothishmathi Institute of Technology and Sciences (JITS), a native of Lyagalamarri village of Pegadapalli mandal in Jagtial district, was staying in a private hostel named Sri Rama hostel in Thimmapur mandal. On Tuesday evening, hostel owner Santosh Rao had reportedly instructed the student Vikas Reddy and another hostel-mate to climb a tree and cut the branches at the hostel.
Accordingly, Vikas Reddy, a student, climbed the tree and while cutting the branches, he came in contact with live wires and was electrocuted and fell down from the tree and died instantaneously. The LMD police registered a case and shifted the body to the Government headquarters hospital for an autopsy.
Following the news, the students of JITS rushed to the hospital to have a last glimpse of their colleague on Wednesday. They expressed concern over the operation of the private hostels illegally without any supervision by the district authorities and playing with the lives of students, and causing huge losses to their parents. There are several incidents of private hostels being injured in accidents, as the hostels are located along the national highway on the outskirts of Karimnagar town.
Usually, the students prefer to reside in ‘private’ hostels, which are proliferating around the engineering colleges. The private hostel managements give complete freedom to students to move out freely. In the college-run hostels, the management does not allow the students to go out and keeps a close watch on their movement and activities.
The students of JITS have urged the district authorities to close down all illegal private hostels proliferating around the engineering colleges which were playing with the lives of the gullible students by luring with several sops such as free movement, free Wi-fi etc. The students alleged that the private hostels were flouting several safety norms and deceiving students by promising several sops. The students appealed to the parents to ensure that their wards are joined in the college-managed hostels for safety and security and all round development of students.
JITS Chairman Juvvadi Sagar Rao has expressed shock and grief over the tragic incident of Vikas Reddy being electrocuted for staying in a private hostel where the owner had instructed him to cut the tree branches.
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