Bilashi Karua, wife of Mohanty Karua, a former workman of Tata Sponge factory, has filed a complaint in the NHRC seeking a probe into the mysterious death of her husband while on duty.
Sources said Mohanty Karua was a permanent employee and working as a sweeper in Tata Sponge factory .On August 6, 2004, he died inder mysterious circumstances while on duty.
As per rules when any workman dies during the duty hours ,then immediately his family members are required to be informed by the company along with reporting the same to the local police. Besides, the Factory Inspector has to decide the quantum of compensation available to the next of the kin of the deceased but in this case it is alleged that the Tata Sponge management didn't bother to report to any of the local Government agencies and rather tried to suppress the incident in fear of local public outcry.
Accordingly next day morning , some employees went to Karua's house at Gopa Basti under Joda Municipality ,about 5 km away from the factory and handed over the body to his wife. The escorting employees consoled Bilashi and advised her to meet the Managing Director of the company in demand of compensation and others related issues.
The then MD Ashok Pandit also assured her of compensation and a company service to her son who is a graduate. He also advised her not to highlight the matter and make it a legal issue . Having reposed faith on the MD, Bilashi who was an illiterate and poor Scheduled Caste women also preferred to remain silent with the hope that her son will get an employment and she will get back all the compensation. The company also provided the son a service in the Raw Material department of the company But her woes started when the company retrenched her son after working three and a half years in the company . When she again approached to Tata Sponge Management ,at that time another new MD had joined in place of Pandit.
Since then she has been struggling hard to get the justice for mysterious death of her husband but has got no relief.
Sources revealed that she had also vented her grievances before the Collector ,Keonjhar but in vain.
Being disappointed, Bilashi and his family members have decided to sit in dharana in front of the main gate from May 15.
Meanwhile , Radhakanta Triparthy , Supreme Court advocate, has come forward to give justice to the widow and her family and lodged a complaint in the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi. The hearing of the case will start very soon.