Jajpur/ Dharmasala: A labourer who sustained critical injuries November 20, while preparing for compressor blasting at an illegal stone quarry in Kusunpur reserve forest under Dharmasala tehsil, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Padan Hembram, a native of Bolangia village in Chakradharpur gram panchayat under Dharmasala block.
It is an irony that Padan met the same fate as that of his father Jayaram as the latter was crushed under a large stone while working in an illegal stone quarry inside the reserve forest five years ago.
With the death of Hembram, the number of deaths in such illegal stone quarry in the region has reached 11 within a year. This has happened as the government is delaying setting up a special task force to curb the illegal stone trade in the region. Hembram was digging pits with a crowbar to plant explosives for compressor blasting in the quarry November 20.
The crowbar slipped from his hand and struck his head and stomach leaving him in a critical condition. He was first admitted to the Dharmasala Hospital and later shifted to a private nursing home in Cuttack where he succumbed to his injuries after battling for life for nine days.
However, the manner in which his body was hurriedly taken to Puri and cremated at Swargadwar instead of bringing it back home has raised serious questions. It is alleged that the quarry owner, fearing unrest back home, struck a deal with Hembram’s family members and managed to take the body to Puri. Moreover, the quarry owner fearing arrest is learnt to have knocked at the door of a court for bail. Jenapur police have seized the compressor machine but are yet to hand it over to forest officials.
Jajpur Road SDPO Jugal Kishore Das said the stone quarry owner concerned will soon be arrested while a case has been registered in this connection at Jenapur police station. PNN
