Protest over Abohar mishap, families seek compensation

ABOHAR: Infuriated over the death of three labourers while cleaning an oil tank in a factory at Focal Point near Alamgarh bypass victims kin along with members of the Kisan Majdoor Talmel Samiti staged a protest at the Civil Hospital here today

Updated At : 12:29 PM Sep 28, 2019 IST

Families of the deceased protest at the Civil Hospital, Abohar, on Friday

Our Correspondent

Abohar, September 27

Infuriated over the death of three labourers while cleaning an oil tank in a factory at Focal Point near Alamgarh bypass, victims’ kin, along with members of the Kisan Majdoor Talmel Samiti, staged a protest at the Civil Hospital here today. The protesters demanded compensation for the affected families besides strict action against the factory owners.

Carrying a two-month old baby in her lap, Sarabjit Kaur, alias Seema, wife of deceased Happy Singh (25), led the demonstration. Seema has no other source to feed her baby as well as herself.

Mahabir Prasad, brother of another deceased, Badri Ram (25) of Bhilwara in Rajasthan, said the latter, who got job just two months ago in the factory, was survived by wife and four children for whom survival would be difficult task.

The protesters resented delay in postmortem “due to police apathy” and demanded arrest of the accused besides compensation for the affected families.

The postmortem on two bodies was conducted by three doctors, led by Additional SMO Yudhishter Chaudhary, in the afternoon. The autopsy of the third victim, Dhoni (24), will be conducted once his kin arrive from Bihar. They are expected to reach tomorrow.

City Police -2 SHO Sunil Kumar pacified the protesters, informing that a case under Sections 304 and 34 of the IPC was registered against owner Sher Singh of Azeemgarh, his son Gursewak Singh and partner Lalit Bansal. Sher Singh has been arrested. Higher-ups will be approached to consider their compensation demand, he said. Following this, the dharna was lifted at 4 pm.

Happy, Dhoni and Badri Ram were allegedly directed by one of the owners of Sewak Oil Industries to enter an empty oil tank to clean it. The trio fell unconscious due poisonous gas. Instead of informing the administration, owners allegedly asked another labourer, Gurjit Singh, to rescue the trio, but he too fell unconscious. Gurjit is under treatment.

The administration had to take help from the Military Station to bring the victims out of the tank. The Kisan Majdoor Talmel Samiti demanded an inquiry into licencing of the crude oil refining unit since indigenous safety arrangements were not found. They said the administration must probe if the factory had prescribed equipment to clean the oil tankers. Flaying the state government for not ordering an inquiry, the protesters demanded adequate compensation for the affected families.