Pregnant brick kiln worker dies, four detained

A 24-year-old pregnant woman labourer at a brick kiln here died of alleged exhaustion after being forced to work and lack of timely medical treatment, police said today.
Four persons, including a brick kiln owner and three supervisors, have been detained in this connection, they said.
Surna Jaru, from Naral village in Odisha's Kalahandi district, was working at a brick kiln on the outskirts of Hanumanthunipet village under Peddapalli police limits, about 40 kms from here.
Despite the fact that she was pregnant, the brick kiln owners allegedly forced her to work there and they did not even allow her any rest, Peddapalli Sub-Inspector of Police A Jagan Mohan said.

At around 10 AM yesterday while she was working at the kiln, the woman was found having low blood pressure. The private medical practitioner who examined her, advised that she be shifted to a hospital immediately.
However, while she was being taken to hospital, the woman collapsed enroute, he said.

Mohan also said that though the woman's relatives alleged that she was beaten by the kiln owner and supervisors, no external injuries were found on the body.
"We cannot conclude the exact cause of the death, until we receive the postmortem report," the police officer said.
The body was sent to Peddapalli Government Hospital for postmortem, he said.

A case of 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' under section 304 (Part II) of IPC has been registered against the four accused -- brick kiln owner Babburi Shyam, and supervisors Udab, Hantu and Dhanunjay, who were taken into custody, he said, adding that further investigation was on.