Bhubaneswar: Six migrant workers from Odisha were burnt to death at a prawn farm in Andhra Pradesh and not electrocuted as believed, senior Congress leader Pradeep Majhi alleged on Tuesday.
Majhi’s charge came nearly a month after the six migrants were found charred to death at Lankavani Dibba in Guntur district of the neighbouring state.
Majhi, who is the vice-president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), told the media that the migrants were poor students in the 13-22 years age group and hailed from Gunupur sub-division in Rayagada district.
They had gone to work at the Andhra prawn farm as migrant workers so that they could make money to purchase smartphones for online classes.
“However, after some days, they were physically tortured by the prawn farm owner. Unable to bear the torture, three boys left the farm and went to the railway station to return to Odisha. However, some non-Odia workers at the farm caught them and took them back. They were severely thrashed. The farm manager later bundled the six boys inside a godown, where they were burnt alive,” Majhi claimed.
He also rubbished the police version that the six had died due to a short-circuit in the godown while they were asleep. Majhi said there is one ceiling fan and one tube light in the godown that generate 180 volt. “However, experts say that there can be no major fire if there is a short-circuit from 180 volt electricity. Besides, while the godown had some stocks of fertilizer, chemicals and gamaxin, how come the six boys had gone there to sleep which is not possible,” he said.
The Congress leader further claimed that two of the dead boys were students of a residential school. “According to rules, the residential school authorities should have information about the condition of each student on a regular basis. Surprisingly they had no information about these two students who were working at the prawn farm in Andhra Pradesh for two months,” he added.
Majhi also accused police of failing to arrest the middleman who had taken the six boys to the prawn farm and also not registering a case against the prawn farm owner till date.
“The Odisha government is sitting pretty by announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the six boys. Besides, the farm owner has provided a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each while the Andhra Pradesh government has not taken any further action after providing the ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh each,” the Congress leader said.
He maintained that the Congress won’t let the Odisha government remain silent over this incident. “If the Odisha government fails to take any action against the prime accused and order a high-level probe within a week, our party will give a bandh call in Gunupur sub-division. The party may even take up the matter with the Supreme Court,” he said.
Also Read: [Watch]: Six Migrant Workers From Odisha Electrocuted In Andhra Pradesh
