Shocking: Unable to take wife’s gangrape, murder of sons, Odisha labourer commits suicide

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bolangir, Dec 16:

Torture of labourers from Odisha migrating to other states is routine, but this one must rank as the mother of all torture stories. Bibeka Chinda, a migrant labourer from Boudh district, who saw his wife being gangraped and his two sons killed by his emlpoyers in Hyderabad, died of his severe burn injuries sustained during a suicide attempt late on Monday night.

Narrating the blood curdling incident to the media shortly before his death at the district headquarters hospital here around midnight on Monday, Chinda, a native of Uma village under Kantamal police station limits in Boudh district, said he had attempted suicide by catching hold of a live wire after watching his wife gangraped and his sons killed by the brick kiln owner and his associates at Hyderabad where he had gone with his family to work. 

The head of Khaliapali village had given him the money to work at a brick kiln at Hyderabad, he said. After receiving the money, Bibeka had left his village with his wife and two sons on December 3 this year and had arrived in Hyderabad.

After working for some days, Bibeka realised that the agent who had taken him and the brick kiln owner had cast an evil eye on his wife Kumari. When he protested, the duo severely thrashed him and raped his wife in his presence. Later, they brutally murdered his two sons.

Unable to bear the brutality, Bibeka tried to commit suicide by holding a live wire and sustained severe burn injuries in the process.

However, the torture did not end there as he was chased by the owner and his associates in an effort to kill him.

Despite their attempts, Bibeka managed to escape and catch a train to Bolangir railway station. However, he could not move from there since the infection had spread in his body in the absence of treatment.

Some passengers at the station noticed hin groaning in pain on Sunday night and informed the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials wh in turno admitted him to the district headquarters hospital.

Following the news, the media went to the hospital and met Bibeka who narrated them his entire ordeal.

“I don’t know the whereabouts of my wife, who was gang raped in front of me by the owner and his associates. I don’t know where they have taken her,” he said while gasping for breath.

The hospital authorities had made all arrangements to shift Bibeka to the VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla. But it was all over as he succumbed to his injuries on the way.

Talking to the newsmen, Dr Pradipta Mohapatra of Bolangir district headquarters hospital said Bibeka had sustained the burn 4-5 days back. Due to lack of treatment in the immediate aftermath of the mishap, the infection had spread all over his body.

“I had advised the hospital authorities to shift Bibeka to VSS Hospital. But he died on the way,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Bolangir Town Police have lodged a case of unnatural death and conducted a post mortem on the deceased.

The brother-in-law of the deceased arrived here late in the night to take back the body to his native village for cremation.