There seems to be no end to the plight of migrant workers in western Odisha. In a heart-wrenching incident, a migrant labourer from Nuapada was allegedly beaten to death in Andhra Pradesh. The incident was reported on Monday.
Jogendra had gone to Andhra Pradesh in search of work. It was alleged that he was critically injured in the brutal attack by a labour contractor there. He, accompanied by another labouer contractor and a migrant worker, was returning home by a train in critical condition. He died on the way to Kantabanji railway station. It was alleged that an attempt had been made to hide his body at Kesinga railway station.
Shyamsundar Mahananda, who was along with Jogendra said that a labour contracrtor named Suru Nag paid Rs 10,000 to them in advance and took them to Andhra Pradesh on the day of Fagu Purnima. “There we were told to do brickwork. We are unable to do manual labour. The brick kiln owner pulled up Nag. Then, two of us were out of the brick kiln after six days. Later, the brick kiln owner and the labouer contractor confined us in a room and tortured us,” said Mahananda.
As Titilagarh police came to know about the incident, it swung into action and seized the body from Kesinga railway station. An investigation into the matter is underway.