Man Resting Under Tree Dies After Civic Workers Dump Sludge On Him

In a case of negligence, a 45-year-old vegetable seller died after workers allegedly belonging to the Bareilly municipal corporation, in Uttar Pradesh, dumped a trolley of sludge on him. 

The incident took place when the victim, Sunil Kumar, was resting under a tree near his house. The workers arrived at the spot and dumped the sludge on him, burying him alive. 

Kumar's family rushed to the spot and pulled him out, before taking him to the hospital where he was declared dead. He is survived by his wife and three children.

The victim's family alleged that there had been no instances of sludge or garbage dumping in the area before. They also claimed that municipal officials threatened them and asked why Kumar was sleeping on the roadside, when they tried to register a complaint. 

"My son was sleeping under a tree. My grandson was playing nearby. After he was buried under the sludge, we rushed him to the hospital. He was declared dead. Later, some municipal officials arrived and threatened us, asking why he was sleeping there. There was no garbage there initially," Kumar's father Girwar Singh said.

The victim's brother Vinod Kumar alleged that his niece had requested the workers to dump the sludge elsewhere. 

Municipal Commissioner Sanjiv Kumar Maurya said the workers were not a part of the civic body but belonged to a contractual firm. "The workers usually dump the sludge on the side of any road, to drain out all the water before getting rid of it. We will take action against those responsible for the incident. Police are also probing the case," he said.

Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Parikh said a case has been registered in the matter. "A probe is underway," he said.