Asking for his wages proved costly for a labourer, who had his hand chopped off by his employer in Jharkhand's Garhwa district here.

Aliar Razwar of Sukhnadi village asked his employer Lal Mani, a shop owner dealing in illicit liquor, to clear his dues of Rs. 10,000 of the past one year, on Saturday, police said here today.

Mani, who got infuriated over the demand for wages, chopped off Razwar's left hand and left him lying on a nearby railway track. The villagers then spotted Razwar and took him to the Sadar Hospital from where he was shifted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi.

One of the three persons, named in the FIR filed at the Majheon police station, was arrested yesterday, the police said, adding that raids were being conducted to trace the others.

However, they did not identify the arrested.