JHARSUGUDA: A labourer, Goutam Bhandari (44), native of West Bengal, who was dumped into Ib river by some workers of Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGC) plant suspecting him to be dead, is not an employee of the company. Banaharpali unit of OPGC has stated that Bhandari was never engaged by BGR Energy at OPGC plant site and had never worked at OPGC construction site at any time in the past.
On Saturday night, Bhandari fell sick following which he was taken to Burla hospital in an SUV by some workers of OPGC. But, when he stopped breathing on the way, the workers had assumed him dead and threw him into Ib river from Rampela bridge before returning to their temporary camp.