A 46-year-old labourer died under mysterious circumstances at a major construction site in Bokaro, triggering violent protests and vandalism by fellow workers late on Monday. The incident has cast a shadow over the ongoing construction of the Jagarnath Mahto Medical College building and exposed deep tensions between the workforce and the management.
What Happened at the Medical College Site?
The deceased has been identified as Amarnath Singh, a resident of Dabarbahal village under the Chas Muffasil area. Singh lived at the on-site labour camp with his wife, Amaravati. The tragedy unfolded within the limits of the Sector 12 police station.
According to accounts from other contract workers, Singh returned to his room after work and reportedly fell ill. Fellow worker Surender Karmali stated that Singh's limbs stiffened and he lost consciousness. The site contractor was informed immediately.
Allegations and Counter-Allegations Fuel Tensions
The situation escalated rapidly due to the handling of the body. Workers alleged that officials from the construction company hurriedly removed the body without informing anyone else. They claim Singh was loaded onto the back of a pick-up van and taken out quietly through the rear gate, an act that fuelled suspicion and outrage.
In response, the project management firm, KMV Constructions, denied any wrongdoing. The company's HR manager, Kranthi Surineni, presented a different sequence of events. Surineni stated that Singh was not on duty that day and worked as an unskilled housekeeping worker under a contractor. The firm claimed he had consumed alcohol in the morning, fell ill in his room, and was promptly taken to the sadar hospital. There, doctors declared him dead after an ECG examination. The company also asserted that CCTV footage captured the entire incident.
Police Intervention and Aftermath
The workers' anger boiled over, leading to a protest and vandalism at the construction company's site office. Police were quickly summoned to the location. A team led by Sector-12 police station in-charge Subhash Kumar and Sector-4 in-charge Sanjay Kumar managed to bring the volatile situation under control.
To pacify the agitated labourers and restore normalcy, the police conducted a late-night march through the labour camp. The exact cause of Amarnath Singh's death remains unclear, and the conflicting narratives from the workers and the company have intensified tensions on the college campus.
The incident highlights the often precarious conditions and communication gaps at large construction sites, raising serious questions about protocols during medical emergencies involving workers.
