Factory worker crushed by plastic compacting machine in south Delhi

A 21-year-old man was crushed to death while working at a machine in a factory in south Delhi’s Maidan Garhi during the early hours on Wednesday.

The victim was identified as Madhu Ram, a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. The factory he was working in processed plastic waste. The factory owner was later arrested.

Police said that they received a distress call at the Maidan Garhi police station at around 1.15 am.

Deputy commissioner of police (South) Vijay Kumar said when police reached the spot, a 19-year-old labourer Himanshu Prasad, who was working with Ram at the machine, told them what had happened.

“He said that as Ram leaned into the machine to settle the crushed bottles, the shaft of the machine came down and crushed him from shoulder to the chest. He died on the spot. His body was taken to Safdarjung hospital where an autopsy was conducted and his family was informed,” the DCP said.

Kumar said, initial probe revealed that the property, which is at Banshee Road in Asola, was rented out to a man named Manish Kumar Gupta. “Gupta had set up the crushing machine to crush plastic bottles and had employed some labourers to run the factory. Labourers told police that the machine also required to be handled manually. A case of causing death due to negligence has been registered and Gupta was arrested,” the DCP said.

Police said Ram lived in Delhi with his brother who also works at a factory nearby. Ram is unmarried and his parents live at their native village in UP.

Dhruv Kumar, who works as an electrician near the factory, and witnessed the accident, said that the machine has three doors.

“The person who is operating the machine has to close these doors to start the machine. Ram had closed two doors but something stuck the third door. As Ram climbed up to check, the shaft collapsed,” Kumar said.

DCP Kumar said police are also probing if there is any foul play.

First Published: Apr 04, 2019 05:23 IST