Post News Network
Rengali, Jan 22: A minor boy who was working at a stone crusher unit at Gumaloi in Sambalpur district was crushed to death after being sucked into construction equipment here Friday morning.
The boy was identified as Dhiraj (16), son of Dillip Behera of Gumaloi village.
News of the 16-year-old boy’s grisly death spread shockwaves in the area, with irate villagers demanding that the incident be treated as a case of murder went on an arson spree, setting fire to two dumper trucks, two JCBs, a water tanker and two earthmovers parked on the premises of the crusher unit.
The protesters later blocked the Sindurapanka-Bamra State Highway at Gumaloi demanding arrest of crusher owner Saurabh Singh and others and Rs 25 lakh compensation to the kin of the deceased.
The road blockade was still in place till the time of filing this report. Rengali tehsildar Sushama Bilung, Katarabaga inspector-in-charge (IIC) Sudam Mallick, and Rengali IIC Mihir Chandra Panda were attempting to convince protesters to lift the blockade without much success.
According to sources, Dhiraj belonging to an economically backward family was working as a labourer in the stone crusher unit. When he joined duty at 8 am Friday, employees of the unit asked him to clean the conveyer belt. When the boy was cleaning the belt, the operator started the machine and the boy was crushed to death within seconds.
All the employees and labourers of the unit fled the scene after the mishap.
As news of the incident spread, irate residents barged into the unit and went on torching the vehicles and machines one after another.
The irate mob did not allow fire brigade personnel to move to the site to douse the fire.
Katarbaga IIC Mallick said that a case has been registered in this regard and those responsible for the boy’s death will be arrested soon.
The residents said the administration was to blame for the boy’s death as they said they had resorted to a road blockade January 2 demanding immediate closure of the crusher unit. They had lodged a complaint with Rengali additional tehsildar Tapan Deb Chakraborty mentioning that the unit has illegally occupied a patch of forest land from where it was operating.
Chakraborty had assured them of conducting a probe and taking measures within eight days. However, no step was taken in this regard till date even though 13 days have passed since the protest.
Had the unit been closed earlier, the mishap could have been averted, they added.
The villagers further said that the illegal unit has been functioning thanks to the support of officials of Rengali tehsil office and those of Katarbaga police station. Locals alleged that officials take bribes from the crusher unit owner and allow it to function.
When contacted, tehsildar Sushama Bilung said the crusher unit owned by Singh has requisite licenses. Bilung, however, said legal action will be initiated against the owner if the allegation of forest land encroachment is confirmed. That apart, action will be taken against the forest and police department employees who take money from the owner.
