NAHAN: Raj Kumar [45] a factory worker engaged in the Ruchira Paper Mill in the industrial area of Kala Amb was found dead in the mysterious circumstances in the factory complex this morning.
Initial inquiries revealed that neither Kala Amb Police nor factory officials knew about his where about. As per sources police had recovered a personal diary from his possession which carries only phone numbers of local residents and factory officials of Kala Amb. On inquiring from the telephone contacts found in his diary it had been established that deceased was working in the Kala Amb area as factory worker for the past over three years but no body knew his home address or even which state he belonged to.
Factory officials maintained that worker was engaged through contractor and they were not supposed to verify his home address. Till this evening his employers had failed to provide his address.
NGO’s working for the welfare of factory workers had called it a ‘total failure of the system’, they charged that on the one hand the government was making large claims that government was maintaining records of factory workers to know about their where abouts and on the other hand authorities were unaware of the address of a worker working for such a long time in the Kala Amb factories. The tall claims of the Labour department of the state that it had issued the identity cards to the factory workers and also had prepared records of the Himachali and non Himachali workers seems false as this worker did not possess any such card.
Mr. J. P. Singh, Superintendent of Police Sirmour however ruled out any foul play behind the death. He said that from the preliminary inquiries it appears that deceased had died due to fall under the influence of liquor last night. Efforts were on to get his home address and matter would be investigated in detail, SP added.
This evening Police had sent the dead body for the post mortem. Actual reason of the death would be established after receiving post mortem report, said police officials.
Assistant Sub Inspector of Kala Amb police post Mr. Daulat Ram Chauhan who is investigating the case confirmed that contractors with whom deceased worked and even his fellow workers did not knew anything about his home address. Even they failed to tell the investigation as which state deceased belonged to.
Working as district correspondent with The Tribune & Danik Tribune in Sirmour.
