In an unfortunate yet strange incident last month a teenage girl died at Raajco Spinners Private Ltd., a cotton textile mill in Dindigul (Tamil Nadu – the textile manufacturing hub of India).

The textile company has been operational since 25 years and employs 600 staff that works continuously in three shifts.

The girl named Nirmala Selvi, 17, worked there for over six months in the spinning department. As stated in the statement released by Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU), she came back to her room after a night shift and was resting the next day but when her sister tried contacting her, she was untraceable.

Shockingly, Nirmala’s sister was not allowed to enter her room when she visited and asked to go to a Government Hospital, in Karur, where she found that her sister has died.

Nirmala’s parents claimed that there were scratches and wounds all over her body.

The mill management has discarded all the allegations made by the deceased worker’s family members. Raajco Spinners claims that she hung herself. Her family, however, said that she was very happy and there is no reason that she could’ve attempted suicide.

Nirmala’s parents have put some demands in front of the District Manager; the family wants a strict investigation to take place in the presence of DSP and as she was just 17, the District Child Protection Officer should also be there at the time of the investigation.

The family further seeks Rs. 1, 00,000 in compensation from the textile mill.

We at Apparel Resources also have the copy of FIR of the abovementioned case.

It is important to add here that there have been 8 such deaths within last three months in various textile industries in Dindigul.