Planet News
Reporter Rahul Namasudra
A woman was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a worker’s shelter at a brick kiln at the Chittamara area under Belonia Sub-division in Tripura on Sunday morning.
Tzhe deceased, identified as Lalita Devi (45) from Jharkhand and working at a brick kiln owned by Parvati Bricks Industries, was reportedly found lying on a bed with no clothes on and injuries on her head, nose and mouth.
On Sunday morning when Devi failed to report for work her fellow labourers sensed something suspicious and went to her shelter, after calling her several times she didn’t respond and finally the fellow workers entered her room and they found her body lying on bed without any clothes.
Later, the workers informed the local police station, after being informed the local police station officials arrived at the Parvati Bricks Industries. A forensic team also arrived at the scene to collect evidence. The body was sent for post-mortem examination to Belonia Sub-divisional Hospital.
Following the incident, the police launched an investigation and found that the deceased husband Deva Nagashika was missing from the brick kiln. Police suspect his involvement in this case and it might be a murder. Later, they sent Nagashika’s photo to various railway stations, motor stands, and police stations, after a while he was arrested from the Belonia Railway Station on the same day.
The police have registered a case of murder and are investigating the incident. Deba has been remanded to police custody for further questioning.
Meanwhile, the police investigation revealed that neither Lalita nor Deba had any ID proof, despite the fact that they were employed by the brick kiln owner and manager. The brick kiln is currently being operated by Suman Sen and others.
This incident has brought to light the poor living conditions and lack of proper documentation for workers at Parvati Bricks Industries. Neither Devi nor her husband reportedly possessed any ID proof, yet they were employed by the kiln management. The manager, when questioned about the lack of ID verification and the general living conditions of the workers, provided incoherent answers and attempted to deflect responsibility.
The incident has also raised concerns about the lack of supervision by the District Labor Department. The department has been criticised for failing to properly monitor brick kilns in the area, which has allegedly resulted in repeated incidents like child deaths and worker fatalities.