Punjab farm worker dies in Italy after employer dumps him on roadside with severed right arm

According to media reports from Italy, Satnam’s hand was severed on Monday while he was working in a melon greenhouse in Agro Potino, a rural area south of Rome. Satnam died in the hospital on Wednesday. Satnam had also suffered injuries to his legs before being left outside his home.

Reports indicate that Satnam and his wife were both working in the same field when the incident took place. After the accident, Satnam’s wife pleaded with the owner to take him to the hospital, but both were left outside their house in a minivan.

Subsequently, his wife rushed to their neighbours and asked them to call an ambulance, following which, Satnam was taken to hospital in an air ambulance.

The farm owner has been identified as Renzo Lovato.

According to Reuters, Italy Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni expressed shock at the tragedy during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, stating that such inhuman acts do not represent the Italian people. She expressed hope that justice would be served swiftly, a sentiment echoed by her office.

It has been reported that the farm owner expressed regret over the accident and informed the media that he had warned the labourer not to approach the machinery that caused the injury. An investigation into the farm owner’s son, who allegedly left Satnam Singh outside his home, has been initiated, which might lead to charges of manslaughter and failure to assist a person in danger. The Indian embassy is in contact with the family for further investigation.

The police stated they were alerted by Singh’s wife and friends, prompting the dispatch of an air ambulance. “He was flown to a hospital in Rome but succumbed to his injuries around midday,” a police spokesman in Latina reported.

Reports also said that the deceased didn’t have any legal contract and it also highlighted how such migrant workers are exploited in Italy in the agriculture sector. The local trade unions in Italy called it a barbican incident and brutal death.

The center-left Democratic Party condemned Singh’s treatment in the Latina area, which is notorious for worker exploitation, calling it a “defeat for civilization.” The party emphasized on X, “The fight against gangmasters and for dignified and humane living and working conditions must continue to be our priority.”