Misery of migrant Odia labourer ends with his murder in Tamil Nadu

Mohana: It seems there is no respite in the torture of the migrant Odia labourers meted out to them by their employers in different parts of the country. A fresh case of an Odia labourer being tortured and murdered has now been reported from Tamil Nadu.

One Sarat Parichha of Bariagaon village under Adava Police station limits of Gajapati district had gone to Kerala a month ago to work as a daily wager to meet his family’s needs. Later, he shifted to Tamil Nadu for some unknown reason.

Yesterday, Sarat Parichha called his sister-in-law, Martha Parichha, with an unknown number and asked her to make a video call to him instantly. When she made the call, to her surprise, she saw Sarat being locked and beaten up in a darkroom. Sometime later, the call got disconnected and despite Martha’s repeated calls to the particular number, no one answered her call.

The entire family who was in a state of fear and anxiety about Sarat Parichha’s health condition were taken surprised after some photos of his dead body were sent to Martha’s phone number this morning where-in the sender asked her to go to Tamil Nadu and receive the body or else it would be disposed of somewhere.

Sarat’s wife along with her three daughters and other family members immediately rushed to the Adava Police station and filed a complaint today.

Meanwhile, the bereaved family and the villagers requested the district administration and State government to bring back Sarat’s body from Tamil Nadu and take stringent action against the accused persons.

A pall of gloom descended on the village when Sarat’s death news spread.