A tragic incident in Bengaluru has put a well-known sweetmaker, Asha Sweet Centre, under scrutiny following the deaths of two young men allegedly engaged in manual scavenging at its factory. The incident occurred Thursday evening in the Sompura Industrial Area near Dobbaspet. The deceased, Lingaraju and Naveen, both 26 years old, hailed from Tumakuru and Anantapur, respectively.
The Bengaluru Rural police have arrested Santhosh, the site in-charge, and Ramesh, the owner of JRR Aqua Pvt Ltd, which had subcontracted with Asha Sweet Centre for the sewage treatment plant (STP). Authorities are currently searching for Mayur, the owner of Asha Sweet Centre, who is a co-accused in the case.
C K Baba, Superintendent of Police for the Bengaluru Rural district, confirmed that a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Additionally, relevant provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, have been invoked against the suspects.
Investigators believe that Lingaraju and Naveen succumbed to toxic fumes, chemicals, and the stench inside the sewage treatment plant shortly after entering. Their bodies were recovered later, and the police were notified.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment stipulates that anyone engaging individuals in manual scavenging in violation of the 2013 Act can face up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of up to ₹1 lakh, or both. Recent reports indicate that Karnataka has identified 7,493 manual scavengers, with Bengaluru alone accounting for 1,625 of these cases. Disturbingly, 42 out of 96 manual scavenging-related deaths in the state over the past three decades have occurred in Bengaluru.
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