BENGALURU: Expressing serious concern over the repeated, unfortunate incidents of labourers working in the illegal mining sites being killed, Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of a driver recently in Mandya district as no safety measures are taken by the owners of those sites or the Department of Mines and Geology.
Lacchi aka Lakshmana (38), a truck driver was killed after his truck full of crushed (jelly) stone fell into a 40 ft gorge on December 25 late night. The stone crusher unit at Jataka Gate, under Bellur police limits in Nagamangala, lacked a compound wall or barricade.
The Upa Lokayukta said the incident took place due to the negligence of the owner of the crusher, where labourers are working in a pathetic condition. The quarry owners and crushers are not following safety rules as prescribed by the Department of Mines and Geology.
Registering the case against the Assistant Commissioner of Pandavapura Sub-Division, Tahsildar of Nagamangala taluk, Deputy Director, Senior Geologist, of Mines and Geology, Regional Transport Officer, Officials of the Labour Department, Panchayat Development Officer of Nelligere Grama Panchayat and Executive Officer of Nagamangala Taluk Panchayat on the incident, Justice Veerappa directed them to redress the grievances of the labourers in the mining site and submit their explanation in person on February 16.
Noting that the complaint has been registered to examine whether there is any inaction or maladministration on the part of the authorities concerned as reported in the media, the Upa Lokayukta marked a copy of the suo motu case to the Secretary of the Revenue Department, Deputy Commissioner of Mandya, Director of Mines and Geology and Mandya District In-Charge Minister for necessary action.
In a similar incident, a driver of a truck full of jelly stone was killed in September 2025 after it fell into a gorge at the stone crusher unit at Bandegate in Tiptur taluk of Tumakuru district. The intervention of Upa Lokayukta helped the wife of the deceased receive a sum of Rs 15 lakh as compensation.
In another incident that took place in May 2023 in Karadubande of Kolar taluk, on person died due to a gelatin blast in violation of rules. The Upa Lokayukta took up suo motu case and got Rs 10 lakh compensation to the wife of the deceased labourer.