A 23-year-old worker at a jute factory in Hooghly died on Wednesday, almost 10 days after his colleagues pumped pressurised air into him “for fun.”
The culprit was being sought by police, and a case was filed at the Bhadreswar police station.
On Thursday, the family and relatives of deceased Rahmat Ali demonstrated outside the Northbrook Jute Mill, seeking compensation. Ali was employed as a contract labourer in the mill’s winding department.
The unusual encounter occurred on November 16 morning, following Ali’s night duty. According to authorities, his coworkers held him down and blasted compressed air into him. Ali became ill and was referred to a private hospital in Kolkata after being hospitalised to Chinchira Imambara District Hospital. On Wednesday, he died as a result of his injuries.
Doctors reported that the liver was significantly injured due to the air pressure,” Ali’s brother Ajmat Ali told local media. He accused a handful of Ali’s coworkers of being involved in the death. Northbrook Jute Mill did not respond to repeated requests for comment.