Minor boy loses fingers: NHRC seeks report from Odisha, Maha govts

Odisha Sun Times Bureau:
Bhubaneswar, Dec 22:

Acting on a petition filed by rights activist Akhand, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report from Odisha and Maharashtra governments on severed fingers of a minor labour from Puri, who met with an accident while working in an industry in Maharashtra.

According to the petitioner, Mithun Baliarsing (16) of Rahandia village under Kanas police limits of Puri lost three fingers of his right hand in an industrial accident at Maharashtra’s Sangli district.  Mithun was trafficked to Maharashtra by two middle men of his village in July and got a job in Uday Industries under Kupwad MIDC police station limits in Sangli.

In mid-September, the minor boy sustained grievous injuries after an accident while working in the industry and was admitted to the local hospital for treatment. Three of his fingers had to be amputated since there was a danger of gangrene developing in the hand if they were not, the activist said.

After the family members came to know about the incident, the mother of the victim lodged an FIR with Kanas Police and also approached the district labour officer but to no avail, the activist alleged.

Seeing no help coming their way, the activist approached the apex rights body. The commission asked the Puri district labour officer, district magistrate and Sangli district magistrate and superintendent of police to submit an action taken report within four weeks.

Besides this, the petitioner has demanded action against the erring people, compensation and rehabilitation to the victim.