Odisha man says hand, foot chopped off when asked for wages, probe on

A palm and a foot of the man, identified as Sanka Murmu, a resident of Kalaba village, were chopped off allegedly by the middlemen of a contractor that employed him.

A 45-year-old tribal man from Odisha’s Gajapati district was allegedly assaulted for demanding wages for working at a cement factory in Uttar Pradesh last month, prompting a senior official from his district to launch a probe.

A palm and a foot of the man, identified as Sanka Murmu, a resident of Kalaba village, were chopped off allegedly by the middlemen of a contractor that employed him.

“On September 13, six of us had gone to Cuttack after a person from Boudh promised to get us work in Delhi. However, five youths from a neighbouring village lured us to work at a cement factory in Uttar Pradesh promising us ₹20,000 a month,” he said.

“When we asked for our wages, they gave us two pouches (of local liquor). After consuming liquor, I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I found my foot and palm chopped off,” he said.

Murmu’s wife Sushila said the youths brought him in a vehicle on September 30 “and threw him at our house, threatening us with dire consequences if we went to the police.”

State labour commissioner Thirumala Naik said that he asked the district labour officer of Gajapati to go to Murmu’s house and inquire into the incident. “We would take all possible action and provide all help to him and his family,” he said.

On Monday, Murmu was admitted to the community health centre at Mohana.