The family of Naveen Basappa Chalavadi, the 19-year-old worker who died in a mishap at a sugar factory in Karnataka’s Haveri district, has called for action against the factory officials. Members of Naveen’s family claimed that safety standards were not followed, and that only a pair of glasses were given as safety equipment at the factory, which is run by Vivek Hebbar, the son of Karnataka Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar.
Naveen, who hails from Dundasi in Haveri, died of rapid blood loss on February 25, after his hands were crushed under a belt attached to a machine in the factory. "He was working at the factory for less than a month and was asked to operate a conveyor belt involved in cutting up sugarcane. He was only given a pair of glasses for safety and was not given helmets, gloves or shoes," Naveen's brother Chidanand told TNM.
VIPN distillery factory, where Naveen worked, is located in Konankeri village in Haveri. Vivek Hebbar, son of Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar, is the director of the factory. An FIR (First Information Report) was registered against the factory officials at the Bankapur police station based on a complaint by Naveen's family.
Leaders from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) visited Naveen's residence on Tuesday, February 28. Basavaraj Pujar, a DYFI leader in Haveri, said that the factory director Vivek Hebbar should be named in the FIR and arrested. They also called for the charges against Vivek to be made more stringent to include Section 300 (culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
Naveen belongs to the Chalavadi community, classified in Karnataka as a scheduled caste. "The police should be booking the accused under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," said Basavaraj Pujar. "The working conditions in the factory is the reason for his death. The factory management should give compensation to the victim's family too," he added.
TNM reached out to Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar about the allegations. This article will be updated if he responds.