Worker found dead at textile unit in Hassan

An employee working at a private textile manufacturing unit in the industrial area on the outskirts of Hassan city died while on duty on Wednesday.

Punith, 28, a native of Neralahalli in Arakalgud taluk of Hassan, had been working at Himatsingka Linens for the past seven months. His body was found in a water tank at the unit, and the company representatives informed the Hassan Rural Police. The body was shifted to Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences in the city.

Punith’s father, Ramesh, filed a complaint with Hassan Rural Police seeking a probe into his son’s death. He stated that around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, he received a phone call from the police informing him that his son had fallen into a water tank at his workplace. However, his son’s colleagues told him that Punith went missing around 12 p.m. and when the staff searched for him, he was found in the water tank. He appealed to the police to find out the actual cause of the death.

Hassan SP, Shubhanwita, told The Hindu that the police had registered an unnatural death report based on the complaint filed by family members of the deceased. “The post-mortem has been conducted. Right now, the investigation is in a nascent stage. Once we get the post-mortem report, we will know the cause of death,” she said.

The police officer stated that there were no CCTV cameras near the water tank, where Punith’s body was found. “It is not clear whether he slipped into the tank or jumped, as there are no CCTV cameras. We will investigate based on his call-detail record (CDR), and if we find something suspicious, we will probe it further," she added. However, the family members have not made any allegation against the company in the complaint.

Eom/photo available