Shocking : Middleman chops off hands of two labourers

OST Bureau

Bhawanipatna, Dec 16:

In a shocking incident, a middleman (labour contractor) in Jayapatna today chopped off the hands of two persons migrant labourers after they refused to go outside the state to work.

The two, identified as Nilambar Dhangada Majhi and Pialu Dhangada Majhi of from Nuaguda village under Jaipatna Police Station area of Kalahandi district, are now struggling for life at the Bhawanipatna district headquarters hospital .

The labour contractor from Sinapali area of Nuapada district was taking these two victims, along with ten other people from their village, to Chhattisgarh for working in brick kilns.

The labourers from Nuaguda village had taken an advance of Rs 10, 000 to Rs 15, 000 each from the labour contractor with a promise that they shall go to Andhra Pradesh as migrant labourers after harvesting their paddy crop.

But before completion of the harvest work, the labour contractor reached Nuaguda and forcibly took away 12 people from the village in a Bolero jeep on Sunday.

On the way, 10 out of the 12 labourers managed to flee from the clutches of the contractor near Belpada village of Borda Outpost area under Kalahandi, but Nilambar and Pialu could not. Angry at the escape of the other labourers, the middleman chopped off the right hands of both Nilambar and Pialu. “If you are not going to work for us, you will not be able to work for anybody,” the middlemen and his henchmen reportedly told them before chopping off their palms..

Bhawanipatna town police have registered only a station diary in the matter and are yet to initiate investigation.