Miner blinded in blast, police delay registration of FIR

FARIDABAD, April 29: For a fortnight, the district police has kept an incident in which a mine-worker lost his eyes and an arm at the Anangp...

int(2)

FARIDABAD, April 29: For a fortnight, the district police has kept an incident in which a mine-worker lost his eyes and an arm at the Anangpur Silica mine in the district, a closely guarded secret. Only after the intervention of the deputy commissioner has the police registered a case of causing grievous injury.

The victim, 22-year-old Sukhvir, is under treatment in the Escorts Hospital. This is the third such accident involving a member of Sukhvir’s family. Three years back Sukhvir’s father Jaipal got his arm injured when an explosive went off in a mine on the same hill. He died after his hand had to be amputated. Earlier his mother, Angoori had her right ankle broken in an explosion.

This incident occurred on April 11 when the contractor Raje forced Sukhvir, untrained in dealing with explosive substances, to check whether the gelatine was ignited or not. “The moment he went to check the explosive the gelatine went off,” said another worker, requesting anonymity.

Story continues below this ad

For four hours, Sukhvir remained under the rubble. All the other workers, including the contractor, Raje, fled the spot. After being informed by the villagers that Sukhvir died in the blast, his mother Angoori rushed to the spot, nearly two km away.

Angoori and few other villagers rushed to the contractor and Som Prakash Sethi (unauthorised owner). The actual lease holder is Kartar Singh Bhadana, an MLA of the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP).

In the evening Sukhvir was taken to Jeevan Nursing Home in Delhi but when he was refused admission there he was taken to Safdarjung Hospital. While the doctors at Safdurjung were still busy in providing first aid, both owner and contractor fled the hospital leaving Sukhvir to his fate.

According to Angoori, “After they left, the doctors at the Safdarjung Hospital refused to admit my son and we had to spend the night in the hospital premises”.

Story continues below this ad

Next morning Sukhvir was taken back to Badshah Khan Hospital where again he was refused admission on the pretext of lack of equipment. It was then that his old mother took Sukhvir to the NIT police station but the cops were of no help.“They not only refused to help but also refused to register any case against Raje and Sethi,” said Angoori. Then they approached the Deputy Commissioner B.K. Panigrahi who immediately sent them to the Escorts Hospital. The DC not only asked the police to register a case against the persons responsible, but also instructed the mine owner to pay the medical expenses of the victim.

Dr K.D. Soni, who is treating upon Sukhvir, said the patient has lost his vision for ever.

Meanwhile, Sukhvir, who was the only bread earner in the family, does not know that he has become blind. “I do not know where I am right now and what happened to me,” Sukhvir told Express Newsline.

The DC, meanwhile, said “Such incident could be avoided if the Department of Mine Safety and the department of the Controller of Explosives remain vigilant. ” Both are the departments of the Central Government and they are not bothered about such incidents, he added.

Story continues below this ad

Apart from the criminal case against the contractor, a case under Workmen Compensation Act has also been registered against Kartar Singh Bhadanda, who is the actual lease holder for the mines, said the DC.