Owner of popular sweetmaker in Bengaluru booked over death of 2 manual scavengers

Bengaluru: A popular sweetmaker in Bengaluru is in the dock over the death of two men allegedly engaged in manual scavenging at its factory. 

The incident occurred on Thursday evening in the Sompura Industrial Area near Dobbaspet at the factory unit of Asha Sweet Centre, which has 18 outlets across Bengaluru as per their Instagram profile. 

The deceased are Lingaraju and Naveen, both 26 years old. Lingaraju was from Tumakuru and Naveen from Anantapur. 

Bengaluru Rural police have arrested Santhosh, the site in-charge, and Ramesh, the owner of JRR Aqua Pvt Ltd, which had a sub-contract with Asha Sweet Centre for the sewage treatment plant (STP).

Investigators have launched a manhunt for Mayur, the owner of Asha Sweet Centre, who has been named accused 2 in the FIR. 

"We have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)," C K Baba, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural district, told DH. 

Relevant sections of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, have also been invoked against the suspects. 

According to senior officers, Lingaraju and Naveen were working with JRR Aqua Pvt Ltd. 

"They both got down inside the sewage treatment plant (STP)," a senior police officer said. "Due to the stench, fumes and chemicals, we suspect they both died immediately. Their bodies were subsequently recovered and the police were informed. Further investigation is on." 

According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, "any person or agency who engages any person for manual scavenging in violation of the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 is punishable under Section 8 of the Act, with imprisonment up to two years or fine up to Rs 1 lakh or both". 

As per a recent DH report, Karnataka had 7,493 identified manual scavengers with the most in Bengaluru at 1,625 under BBMP limits. In the last three decades, 42 out of 96 deaths due to manual scavenging work in the state were reported from Bengaluru.