Odisha boy brutalised by Karnataka brick kiln owner

The 12-year-old boy from Odisha's Balangir district, whose hand had allegedly been crushed by his employer at a brick kiln in Karnataka, was being shifted to Cuttack today for specialised treatment.

Child labour Sushant was undergoing treatment at VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla since last evening and Balangir district administration has provided Rs 10,000 for his immediate treatment from Red Cross fund.

It was decided that the district administration would bear all the expenses for his treatment, official sources said adding the boy and his parents were working in a brick kiln in Karnataka, police said.

According to a complaint filed with the police, Sushant had migrated with his parents to the Gulbarga area of Karnataka in October to work in a brick kiln.

The middlemen who sent the family to Karnataka have been identified as Mohan Meher of Bagalabandh village and Bhutulu Behera of Tikrapara village, police said.

As the family didn't get their assured payment, Sushant stopped work. This angered Lacchman Naik, owner of the kiln who allegedly beat up the boy with an iron rod in November. The boy sustained severe fracture in the hand.

"The owner didn't allow any treatment of my son. Now he might lose his hand," Santosh, his father said.

Two months after the incident, the family was rescued by Karnataka government and they reached here on January 12.

"The boy's hand is in a critical condition. If special care is not taken, the child may lose the hand," said Dr Antaram Meher, a senior orthopedic surgeon.

"The police will take action against the accused," Patnagarh SDPO Sunil Joshi said. Patnagarh police are trying to nab the culprits.

Social activist Lalit K Nayak who had taken the boy to hospital at Burla said doctors of VSS Burla felt the condition the boy's hand is very critical and it needs more specialised treatment. They advised to shift him to Cuttack and as per the direction we are doing so, added Nayak.

Balangir district Collector M Muthukumar said this is a serious case. The district administration will bear expenses of treatment of the child. Administration will mobilize fund from Chief Minister's Relief Fund and Odisha State Treatment fund (OSTF), he added.