Chandigarh, Sep 5 (IANS): The Punjab and Haryana High Court Friday ordered the the Chandigarh Administration's electricity department to pay compensation of Rs.22.81 lakh to the family of a man and his daughter who were electrocuted in a village of this union territory May 2003.

Justice Ritu Bahri also ordered the administration to pay interest to the family on the compensation amount from 2003.

Mahinder Singh, 42, a driver, and his daughter Harmit Kaur were electrocuted in their house in Badheri village May 14, 2003 after Singh's wife, Ravinder Kaur, got an electric shock when she was drying clothes on the roof.

On hearing her cries, her husband rushed to detach her but he also got an electric shock. Their daughter also tried to rescue them but she also got a severe jolt. The victims were taken to a hospital where the father and daughter died while Ravinder remained admitted for treatment for a long time. She had two minor children to look after.

The mother and two minor children filed a petition before the high court saying that the father and daughter died due to negligence of the electricity department and demanded higher compensation, said senior advocate Satya Pal Jain.

The counsel argued that electric charge travelled to the clothes-line from a naked electric wire which came in contact with the steel roof of an adjoining house.

The electricity department, while defending itself, claimed that the incident happened due to faulty internal wiring of the house of the victims.

However, the court observed that maintenance of the damaged wire was responsibility of the electricity department and the compensation awarded to the family was too less.