Dubai Police probe Indian expat woman’s death by electrocution

The police said it had ruled out any foul play from the victim’s family but is still investigating the angle of negligence in ensuring electrical safety in the building premises.

According to the family of the deceased, Neethu, a mother of a six-year-old boy, had gone for a shower late evening on June 14 when the tragic incident took place.

Her family including her husband Vishak Gopi, who is also an engineer, and their son Nivish Krishna as well their housemaid lived in the outhouse of a villa in Al Twar-3 area.

The family said there was a power outage in the area due to maintenance works since that afternoon.

Neethu had worked from home that day and had gone for a shower after work. She used an emergency lamp as the power was not yet restored.

Electric shock in kitchen, bathroom

However, at around 7.15pm, the maid felt an electric shock while she was doing the dishes. At the same time, there was a scream by Neethu from the bathroom.

The maid said she had escaped as she had swiftly thrown the vessel that she was cleaning, in reflex. Both the maid and Vishak, who was also present at home, rushed to the bathroom to look for Neethu.

However, there was no answer from Neethu, following which Vishak broke open the door lock with his cricket bat.

They found a motionless Neethu who had fallen off the bathtub. She was holding the shower hose in her hand, with the shower head clinging to her chest.

Vishak used the same cricket bat to remove the shower hose from Neethu’s body, immediately gave her CPR and also called the ambulance. The paramedics who rushed to the spot also provided CPR and rushed her to a hospital in Ghusais where doctors tried to resuscitate her. However, she did not survive, the family said.

Dubai Police, which opened an investigation following Neethu’s death, sent forensic experts to the family’s accommodation. The water heater in the washroom and other necessary samples were collected and the washroom was sealed. The next day, the family received police clearance to repatriate Neethu’s mortal remains after it became evident that it was an accident.

Devastated

Following this, on June 16, Neethu’s body was flown to her hometown in the South Indian state of Kerala where the family performed her last rites.

Speaking to Gulf News from Kerala, a devastated Vishak said the family had full faith in the investigation by the local authorities.

“We want to know how this happened and how it can be prevented in future. This should not happen to anyone else,” he said.

Meanwhile, the couple’s Dubai-based friends paid rich tributes to Neethu.

Though she was an IT engineer, Neethu was working in the supply chain and operations management sector and had been employed by multinational companies.

Friends pay tributes

She and Vishak, a mechanical engineer working in the oil and gas industry, had a large circle of friends, especially from their college alumni groups under the community group of All Kerala College Alumni Federation (AKCAF).

More than 350 friends from their college alumni groups were present at the embalming centre to bid a tearful adieu to Neethu.

Grieving friends later held a condolence meeting to pay tributes to Neethu, who was popular among them as a dancer in community functions.

“All of us were shocked and saddened to hear about her passing. Nobody could believe it as a death by electrocution is unheard of in the UAE. Neethu was a very chirpy girl whose presence would make everyone happy. We are going to miss her forever. Our thoughts and prayers are with her grieving family,” said a friend, Lakshmi.

Deepu, an AKCAF volunteer who knew the couple for several years, said: “We are extremely sad this tragedy has happened. Now, all that we can do is to find out how this took place and prevent it to save others,” he said.