Labourer in Bengaluru falls to death from 10-feet stool

A 19-year-old labourer died falling from a 10-feet stool while doing interior work at the office of the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Rajajinagar Industrial Area, West of Chord Road, on Thursday night.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Rajajinagar resident and Uttar Pradesh native Bittu Karva was one of the seven employees doing interior work at the Union government’s MSME office.

Contractor Nagaraj had taken the tender and sub-leased the work to Angad Chauhan from Uttar Pradesh who had hired the crew.

Bittu fell around 8 pm and he sustained severe head injuries since he fell from a great height. He was taken to Victoria Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Bittu was the only son to his parents and his mother has been hospitalised on hearing the news. His parents were unable to come to Bengaluru.

An attempt to settle the case?

The contractor and the sub-contractor reportedly negotiated with his parents to settle the matter, police said.

Magadi Road police said Bittu’s relatives were not willing to file a complaint and had asked Nagaraj and Chauhan to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to the victim’s parents, but they agreed to pay only Rs 2 lakh.

“We have shifted the body to the mortuary and will preserve it for two days,” said a senior officer. “We will take up a case of unnatural death. If his relatives don’t file a complaint, necessary action will be taken,” an officer said.