ROURKELA: The decapitated body of Basudev Pradhan, a 51-year-old employee of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), was discovered on railway tracks on Monday.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, raising questions of whether it was an accident, suicide, or foul play. Trade union leaders at RSP have called for a thorough investigation
The body was located between the pipe plant and Hot Strip Mill-2 of RSP and was recovered by the Tangarpali police and sent for a post-mortem examination.
Pradhan, a master technician in the heavy maintenance (electrical) department, did not have his vehicle near the site, an area that is typically not frequented by employees crossing the tracks.
Nihar Das, Vice-President of the INTUC-affiliated Rourkela Shramik Sangh (RSS), stated that there should not be any hasty attempt to dismiss the incident as a suicidal death, as this could technically bar the bereaved family from claiming employment on compassionate grounds.
While the incident is being termed a suicide, Das questioned how Pradhan could have deliberately slept on the tracks to end his life without being noticed and reported by the train driver.
The RSS leader suggested that there is a possibility he might have died accidentally, or that after being murdered, his body was placed on the tracks to make it look like a suicide. He said that only a police investigation can shed light on the exact cause of death and demanded that management provide compassionate employment to an eligible family member of the deceased employee.
Sources indicate that Pradhan was in financial distress after venturing into a business in addition to his well-paying job. He had reportedly borrowed money from several individuals to fund his business, and a few days prior to his death, some creditors had created a scene outside his residence in Sector-4 to demand repayment, sources added.