The Hindu : National : Child worker seeks leave; family gets his body

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Saturday, Mar 15, 2008
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Child worker seeks leave; family gets his body

K. Balchand

He worked at a professor’s house in Muzaffarpur

PATNA: Instead of celebrating the marriage of their daughter, the family and the neighbourhood spent the day waging a war against the death of their minor boy who worked as a child labour at a professor’s house in Muzaffarpur on Friday.

The death of Vikas Kumar erupted in an attack on Prof. B.N.Mishra’s quarters inside the Professors colony where the child worked. There was arson on the streets too. The police had a tough time protecting the Hindi Professor and his family members whom the mob intended to lynch to avenge the death of the minor boy.

On Thursday Vikas’ mother had come to seek leave for her son to attend his sister’s marriage scheduled for Friday. The professor reportedly refused to spare him. As events unfolded the professor arrived at her place and handed over the body of her son. He left the place immediately.

The body bore injury marks and the family members charged that he was tortured to death with third degree methods. They also charged that the professor had not paid the salary for over a year now.

Soon after, the family and its well wishers arrived at the professor’s residence, surrounded it and launched an attack to enter it.

They bashed window panes and doors with bricks and batons. Women and children were as much in the forefront of the attack and the police just about managed to keep the professor and his family safe.

When the crowd refused to relent, the police resorted to lathi-charge. Tension then spread to the streets and cars were targeted at the Kalambagh chowk.

Senior officials arrived and promised compensation to the bereaved family.

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