Daijiworld Media Network – Kalaburagi

Kalaburagi, Feb 19: A shocking incident has come to light from Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, where the body of a deceased migrant worker was dragged across a factory premises. A viral video of the incident has sparked widespread outrage over the inhumane treatment of the labourer’s remains.

The deceased, Chandan Singh (35), a migrant worker from Bihar, was employed at Sri Cement Company in Kodla village, near Sedam town. On Tuesday, he reportedly suffered a heart attack while on duty and collapsed at the worksite. While doctors initially linked his condition to low blood pressure, authorities are awaiting the post-mortem report for confirmation.

The 18-second video that surfaced on Wednesday shows four factory staff dragging the worker’s body across the premises, as helpless fellow labourers watched in silence. The footage has led to strong condemnation from the public and various organizations, questioning the factory management’s insensitive actions.

The incident falls under the Sedam police station’s jurisdiction, and investigations are underway to determine accountability.

This is not the first case of migrant worker fatalities in Karnataka. In December 2023, seven migrant labourers lost their lives, and six others were severely injured after a maize bagging machine collapsed at Rajguru Jowar Processing Unit in Vijayapura. The accident, which occurred while workers were repairing the machine, led to a large-scale rescue operation involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire Force, and Emergency Services.

Following the Vijayapura tragedy, state minister for industries and district in-charge minister M B Patil announced a compensation of Rs 7 lac for each deceased worker’s family and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The deceased workers were all from Bihar.

As investigations continue into the Kalaburagi factory incident, questions are being raised about labour conditions and the treatment of migrant workers in industrial workplaces.