Days after a 12-year-old girl died while making a 150-km trip on foot from Telangana to her native Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, two cases have been registered against a woman labour agent in this connection, the police said on Thursday.
The girl, Jamlo Madkam, died near Bhandarpal village of Bijapur district on April 18 after travelling for over 100 kms on foot in a bid to return to Aaded village in Bijapur from Telangana.
"She, along with 11 other people of her native place, had gone to work in chilli fields in Kannaiguda village in Mulugu district in Telangana and was stranded there after the lockdown was imposed last month," he said.
According to preliminary investigation, a farmer, identified as Santosh Manchala of Kannaiguda, had contacted the labour agent, Sunita Madkami, to arrange the labourers for chilli plucking in February this year and gave her Rs 10,000 in advance, police said.
Subsequently, Madkami took labourers from her village, including Jamlo and four other minors, to Telangana.
"After the lockdown was imposed, they were stuck there. On April 15, the group started walking towards their village through forests," he said.
During their journey, Jamlo fell in a field during which she suffered injuries, but the group did not wait for her and continued to walk.
"On April 18, the girl had a meal in the morning, but then complained of stomach ache and uneasiness and died near Bhandarpal under Ilmiri police station limit," the police official said.
Her samples were sent for coronavirus testing, which came out negative. Her post-mortem revealed that she had a hairline crack on her rib bones.
"The investigation revealed that despite the girl being injured, Madkami, who was also returning along with the group, did not provide her medical aid and allegedly made her walk continuously," he said.
Madkami was booked under section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) at Kotwali police station and the case was transferred to Ilmiri police station for further investigation, he said.
Another case was lodged based on the complaint of Labour Inspector Bijapur against Madkami under sections 370 (human trafficking), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act for transporting minors with the purpose of taking work from them, he said.
This case was transferred to Toynar police station, under which Aaded village falls, for further enquiry, he added. No arrest has been made in this connection, the official said.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased girl.
Authorities in Telangana said that with the entire state under strict lockdown and checkposts set up everywhere, the group walked through the forests in the district, to evade scrutiny.