TUMAKURU: The scourge of the prohibited practice of manual scavenging returned to haunt the city as two young labourers were suffocated to death here on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Murthy (34) and Chikkanna (32) of Kuripalya area. They were hired by contractor Kempanarasaiah to clean the latrine pit at his house.
They entered the 13-ft pit to lift the night soil and after some time, they were suffocated to death. It was at the 6th Cross of Devaraj Urs Road at Saraswathi Puram.
The Tilak Park police led by CPI Bale Gowda rushed to the spot. The accused contractor, who was still at large, was booked for involving the labourers in manual scavenging. Activists, including writer K B Siddaiah, visited the spot and sat in a dharna. Siddaiah demanded that the Corporation Commissioner be held responsible for the incident.