Odisha files 8 FIRs over illegal recruitment after Tamil Nadu gas leak deaths

TEn years after an ammonia gaseous state leak out incident at a seafood processing building block in Tamil Nadu claimed the lives of 14 women workers from Odisha, including 13 from Keonjhar, the Odisha labour section lodged eight FIRs across the district, accusing the company and its alleged recruitment network of illegally employing minors using forged identities and Aadhaar credentials.The FIRs were registered at Telkoi, Pandapada, Harichandanpur, Daitari, Keonjhar Town, Keonjhar Sadar, Kanjipani and Nayakote police stations in Keonjhar following a labour department inquiry into the recruitment of migrant workers employed at St Peter’s & Paul’s Seafoods Export Facility in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur district. The eight FIRs mark the first coordinated criminal action initiated in Odisha against the seafood processing company following the industrial disaster.The action follows the June 21 ammonia gas leak at the factory, following which two women remain on ventilator support. Another worker from Angul district also died in the incident. Following the accident, the Odisha Labour and ESI Department facilitated the return of 62 Odia migrant workers, including 58 members of the Juanga tribe from Keonjhar. The Juangas are among Odisha’s particularly vulnerable tribal groups.According to the FIRs filed by the assistant labour officer of Keonjhar, a local recruiting agent, Srikant Juanga of Rangamatia village under Telkoi police station limits, allegedly recruited workers from different parts of Keonjhar by promising better employment opportunities before sending them to Tamil Nadu in October 2025.“In Telkoi block, at least five of the recruited workers were below 18 years of age. Of the 12 workers who died in the industrial accident, seven belonged to Telkoi block and five were minor girls,” the FIR stated.The state labour department alleged that the minors were employed in the hazardous seafood processing unit by using forged identities and Aadhaar credentials of adult women to conceal their actual age. It accused recruiting agent Juanga of acting in connivance with the management or recruiting organisation to facilitate the illegal engagement of the minors.The FIR cited the case of Jamini Juanga, a minor from Rangamatia village, who was allegedly employed under the identity of an adult woman from another village by fraudulently using her Aadhaar credentials. Jamini died in the gas leak.Describing its inquiry as indicative of “serious violations” of the law, the assistant labour officer sought a criminal investigation into offences including illegal recruitment of migrant workers, employment of minors in hazardous occupations, identity fraud, forgery, cheating, trafficking-related offences, and other violations under labour and criminal laws.The labour department also urged the police to investigate not only the local recruiting agents and intermediaries but also officials and representatives of the Tamil Nadu-based seafood processing company allegedly involved in the recruitment and employment of the workers.