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Builder booked for assaulting migrant worker, he denies allegations
New Delhi: A 45-year-old woman, who worked at a building construction site in South Delhi’s South Extension part 2, was allegedly kicked by her employer while she
New Delhi:
A 45-year-old woman, who worked at a building construction site in South Delhi’s South Extension part 2, was allegedly kicked by her employer while she and her husband were sleeping at the place on Tuesday, police said.
The builder allegedly abused her, picked a brick with the intention of hitting her and threatened her husband, Atul Kumar Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (South) said. The builder denied the allegations.
The woman called the police after which she was medically examined. A case of causing hurt and criminal intimidation was registered against the man at the Hauz Khas police station, the DCP said. “We arrested the builder,” the officer said.
Deepak, the woman’s husband, said the builder was forcing them to go back home for the last few days. “He did not clear our dues of April. We thought we should leave and we booked a ticket on a Shramik train to Bihar. Today (Tuesday) police took us to a screening centre in Chhattarpur where we got to know the train will drop us at a place 400 km away from our home. We requested the police not to send us on that train. They dropped us back to the construction site by afternoon,” he said.
The woman alleged a payment of Rs 9,500 was pending with the builder, police said.
Deepak said when the builder got to know they were back, he threatened them. “My wife was sleeping. He kicked and abused her. He got a brick to attack her. We told him we will leave in the next few days in a a train for Punia. He did not listen,” he said.
Manohar Batra, the builder, denied the allegations. Speaking on the phone from the police station, he said, “I did not assault or kick anyone. I had helped the family throughout the lockdown. I had given them Rs 15,000 on Monday and asked them to leave for their village. They promised they will leave. Today they went to the screening centre and came back to the construction site. Because of this, my other labourers refused to work, fearing their safety. The workers were scared because the family could have got infected the coronavirus there,” he said.
Batra said, “The family used to pick up a fight with every other person at the site. We offered them to shift to our another site in Kotla but they refused. They are being misguided by some people in the neighbourhood,” he said.
Sonali Vaid, a public health expert who had tweeted about the incident, said the family had informed her. “I got in touch with the family since they live in the neighbourhood. The builder was harassing them during the lockdown by not paying their dues. And today this happened. It’s good the police has taken prompt action,” she said.
