Tamil Nadu: Shawl stuck in machine, woman gets decapitated

TNN | Updated: Apr 19, 2020, 10:03 IST

Police inspect the carrot washing machine near Ketti Palada in Nilgiris after the accident on Saturday

UDHAGAMANDALAM: The head of an 18-year-old woman worker was severed by the rolling blades of a carrot washing machine near Ketti Palada in the Nilgiris on Saturday morning.
S Nandhini, a resident of Sogathorai village, was clearing the sliding track tray underneath the machine during work at the unit when the accident took place around 11 am. Police said she was bending and clearing the tray when her shawl first got stuck in it, then her hair and finally her head which got cut off by the rotating blades within a few minutes.
Sources said there were other workers also in the vicinity but that everything happened in a matter of minutes. The machine used to wash carrots occupies about 500 sqft. “A case under section 304A of IPC has been registered with the Ketti police station”, he said adding, “The owner of the carrot washing machine unit, Manjunath, has not provided any safety measure for the workers while on duty”. He has been made an accused for negligence in taking safety measure. An inquiry is underway in this connection.
The woman was the daughter of Subramani and Sumitra who had settled in Ooty. She has two brothers too. The body of the victim has been shifted to Ooty government headquarters hospital. “The separated body and head of the victim are kept in the mortuary in the hospital for further investigation and formalities”, said a police spokesman.