A 37-year-old ragpicker died hours after she was allegedly beaten up by workers of a factory in Samaypur Badli for allegedly committing theft, the police said on Thursday. A magisterial probe has been initiated into the death of the woman, said the police.
The deceased has been identified as Sakeena while her accomplice Afsana was also allegedly thrashed by the workers. The two were allegedly beaten up after being “caught red-handed” while stealing from a manufacturing unit of pressure cooker on Wednesday morning. The workers then informed the police.
A senior police officer said that the workers informed investigators that a group of women entered the godown after breaking the wall and were caught by them. “A scuffle broke out between the two sides and while the other women managed to flee, the two were caught and thrashed,” he said adding that the involvement of the deceased in a 2017 case has come to the fore.
Taken to hospital
The police said that soon after they reached the spot, both the injured women were taken to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital and were given primary treatment.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Gaurav Sharma said that based on a complaint from a worker, a case under section 457 (lurking house-trespass to commit offence), 380 (theft), 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offence) and 34 (common intention) has been registered against the two women.
The two were arrested at the hospital and produced before the Magistrate. After being produced before the Magistrate, Sakeena was again taken to the hospital as she complained of uneasiness. She succumbed to injuries around 7 p.m, said the police.
Meanwhile, Sakeena’s son Arvind Khan (20), a labourer, said that his mother, a ragpicker, left the house with a few others around 5 a.m. for work to Samaypur Badli. “She was picking garbage outside the factory when workers started shouting at her and another woman alleging they were thieves. The men then beat the two women with rods and sticks,” he claimed adding that he was informed of this by other women who witnessed the incident.
Khan said that his father passed away of illness a few years ago and he has five siblings to take care of.
