SC issues notice to AP, Odisha

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of a horrific incident of chopping off the right hands of two migrant labourers from Odisha by a contractor from Andhra Pradesh in December 2013.

Taking cognisance of a media report on the incident, a bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

The incident occurred near a jungle in Belpada village in Kalahandi district of Odisha when the two labourers were being taken back to their homes to recover the money paid to them in advance when they were hired. Dialu Nial (19) and Nilambar Majhi (35) were first held captive by a labour contractor Parame and his aides for 5-days and later their right hands were chopped off in a jungle in Kalahnadi district. The duo had reportedly taken Rs 14,000 each from the contractor but refused to go to work in a brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh.

The contractor did not pay heed to their pleas for paying back his money in due course of time and he chopped off their right hands. The victims somehow managed to flee from the clutches of the contractor while they were drinking.

A contractor from AP did the gruesome act when they allegedly refused to work in a brick kiln