NHRC notice to Maha govt over death of five workers in well

National Human Rights Commission today issued a notice to Maharashtra Government seeking a report over deaths of five workers due to suffocation while cleaning a well in Yavatmal district of the state.
According to an official statement released today, the commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra calling for a report within two weeks.
He has also been asked to furnish details of the ex-gratia relief paid, if any, to the next of kin of the five deceased workers and to the two critically ill workers. The Commission has also asked information on the steps taken for providing the treatment to the two workers.

The notice was issued after the rights panel took suo motu cognizance of a media report that five workers were suffocated to death and two others were in a critical condition after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a well in Karegaon, Yavatmal district of Maharashtra.
The incident was reported to have happened on March 31, 2015. The critically ill workers were admitted to Sevagram Hospital.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victims.