Kalaburagi – A disturbing incident has come to light in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, where the body of a migrant worker from Bihar was callously dragged across a factory premises. A video capturing the incident went viral on social media on Wednesday, sparking widespread condemnation of the factory management’s treatment of the deceased labourer.

The victim, identified as 35-year-old Chandan Singh, a migrant worker from Bihar, died on Tuesday while working at the Sri Cement Company in Kodla village near Sedam town. According to reports, Chandan collapsed while on duty, reportedly due to a heart attack. Doctors noted that he had initially shown symptoms of low blood pressure before his sudden demise. However, the exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed, pending the post-mortem report.

The 18-second video, which has triggered public outrage, shows four individuals dragging Chandan’s body across the factory premises. As the body is being dragged, a group of labourers can be seen following helplessly, unable to intervene or protest against the inhumane act. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Sedam police station, and an investigation is currently underway.

The factory management’s insensitive handling of the situation has drawn sharp criticism from the public and various organizations. Many have expressed anger over the lack of dignity shown to the deceased worker.

This incident comes just months after another tragic event involving migrant workers in Karnataka. In December 2023, seven migrant labourers from Bihar were killed, and six others were seriously injured when a maize bagging machine collapsed at the Rajguru Jowar Processing Unit in Vijayapura city. The workers were repairing the machine at the time of the accident. Karnataka’s Minister for Industries and District in-charge, M.B. Patil, had announced compensation of Rs 7 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

The December incident had also required extensive rescue operations, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire Force, and Emergency Services working alongside a 30-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team dispatched from Pune. Four cranes and JCBs were used to rescue the trapped workers.