Migration horror again: Minor boy in danger of losing hand

OST Bureau

Balangir, Jan 17:

Barely a month after the brutal chopping of palms of two migrant labourers in Kalahandi district case, another shocking incident has been reported from Balangir district where a migrant minor boy is set to lose his left hand after he was attacked with an iron rod by his employer, a brick kiln owner in Karnataka.

The minor boy, Sushant Kumbhar (10), has now been admitted in the VSS Medical College, Burla, according to Lalit Nayak, a local social activist.

Doctors here have expressed the apprehension that his left hand may have to be amputated.

According to reports, eight families of Kadalimunda village in Patnagarh block of Balangir district, including Sushant, his father Santosh and mother Bhanumati, had gone to Khandeyarnepali under Sedam police station limits of Gulbarga district of Karnataka to work in brick kilns.

Two local brokers, Bhutulu Behera and Mohana Meher, who paid the family Rs 2,000 initially, had assured them to pay Rs 15,000 after reaching the workplace.

However, the money was not paid to the family after they arrived at the workplace. Instead, the owner of the brick-kiln paid Rs 500 a week to each family.

After working for a few months, brick-kiln employees started physical torture on the family. Unable to take the torture, some workers managed to flee the place and informed the Balangir district administration, which immediately took up the case and informed the Gulbarga district administration.

Later, a team of officials led by assistant labour commissioner of Gulbarga rescued the families from the brick kiln and sent them to Balangir on January 5 this year.

However, the grief of Santosh was compounded further after he took his son to the district headquarters hospital here to examine his injured left hand where the doctors advised him to get it amputated as it had been severely infected.

“The brick kiln owner Lachhman asked me to keep the bricks upside down but I refused as I was feeling acute pain in my hands. At this, he attacked my left hand with an iron rod”, the terrified minor boy told OST.

He also said that the owner did not take any steps for the treatment of his broken hand that has now swollen up to his elbow due to severe infection.

Meanwhile, the Patnagarh police on Thursday registered a case against the brick-kiln owner and the two brokers.

“The police has taken up the matter seriously. Efforts are on to nab the two local brokers”, said SDPO Sunil Joshi.