Malappuram: Tension gripped Nilambur after UDF activists staged a protest over the death of a Class 10 student who was electrocuted by an illegal pig trap. The activists blocked a road in the area, leading to a scuffle with the police. When officers attempted to remove the protesters, they blocked a police vehicle and raised slogans. The agitators later marched to the local police station in protest.

The deceased, Ananthu, alias Jithu (15), was electrocuted near Vazhikadavu, close to Nilambur, on his way back from fishing with his friends. He and his three friends came into contact with a live wire from an illegal electric fence, reportedly set up by a private landowner to kill wild boars. The fourth student ran to alert nearby residents, who rushed to the spot, disconnected the power supply, and took the injured boys to the hospital. Ananthu was declared brought dead at the hospital. 

The two injured students have been identified as Yadhu Krishnan and Sachu, with the latter reported to be in critical condition.

"The land where the electric fence was set up belongs to a man from Kettingal. He might not even be aware of this. The kids were returning after fishing when the incident happened. One of them ran to my house to alert us. We used a pole to separate the boy from the electric fence—he had fallen face down. We had raised complaints with the KSEB earlier, but no one even batted an eye,” said Shyam, a resident of Vazhikkadavu.

UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath blamed the government for the incident, alleging that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had shown negligence and given tacit approval to such traps. He warned of intensified protests if strong action is not taken.

LDF candidate M Swaraj termed the incident unfortunate and called for a detailed investigation.