Jute mill CEO killed by workers over wage dispute

Workers of a jute mill allegedly beat to death the chief executive officer in the factory premises after he refused to agree to their demand on wages at Bhadreswar in West Bengal's Hooghly District.

The CEO of North Brook Jute Mill, S K Maheswari, was beaten up by the agitated workers of the factory on Sunday, when he rejected their demand for an increase in the weekly working hours so that they are paid more.

General Manager Kiranjit Singh said, "There was sudden brick throwing, we were in a meeting, and didn't see who they were, Maheswari was badly hurt, I also got hurt badly along with our security men."

The workers were paid according to the hours of work put in by them and demanded that the weekly working hours be increased to 40 from the present 25, besides submitting a list of other demands.

A worker of the mill, Toton Ali, said, "In a meeting held in the morning, the management said from 1st July, there will be work for 3 days and for 3 days the factory will remain closed. Workers got agitated and and started throwing bricks, iron rods and sticks wherein I also got hurt."

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Siddharth Nath Singh said, "The CEO who had passed away, first, I want to give my condolence to his family members, who died in Hooghly after lynching by workers of the jute mill."

The angry workers allegedly pelted stones at Maheshwari and thrashed him with iron rods.

The CEO, who suffered serious injuries, was taken to a private nursing home, where he succumbed.