136 charged with murder of CEO in Noida

AgenciesPosted: Sep 23, 2008 at 1710 hrs IST

Relatives of the slain CEO of the Cerlikon-Graziano Transmissions ltd, CK Chaudhary.

Noida, September 23: Over 100 people have been arrested in connection with the violence by a group of retrenched employees in a factory in Noida in which the head of the company was bludgeoned to death.

One hundred thirty-six people were charged with rioting and murder in connection with the killing of the Indiahead of the Italy based company, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

L K Chaudhury, the CEO and Managing Director of Cerlikon-Graziano Transmissions India Pvt Ltd in Udyog Vihar of Greater Noida, was killed yesterday when the agitating workers turned violent and reportedly beat him up after a meeting called to resolve the dispute between them and the management failed.

The incident took place at about 12.30 pm when around 200 dismissed employees barged into the factory premises and allegedly hit Chaudhury on his head with a hammer from behind, Noida police sources said quoting eye-witnesses.

Over 30 people were injured as the agitated crowd ransacked the factory. Some vehicles and furniture were also damaged in the incident.

The workers were dismissed about two months back and were protesting since then.

Meanwhile, companies in the Greater Noida industrial area have increased the number of security guards following Monday's incident.

'WARNING FOR MANAGEMENT'

The Government termed "simmering discontent among the workers" as the main reason behind the death of CEO of an Italy based company Graziano, L K Chaudhury in Greater Noida.

"This should serve as a warning for the managements. It is my appeal to the managements that the workers should be dealt with compassion," Union Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes told reporter in New Delhi on Tuesday at a press conference.

He said, "There are disparities in the wages of permanent employees and contract workers. The workers should not be pushed so hard that they resort to whatever that had happened in Noida.

"It is a fact that the number of organised workers has been decreasing. It came down from seven per cent to six per cent. We are going to discuss the matter of hire and fire policy in the next Labour Congress. First we deal with PSU and later with private sector on the issue."

The workforce is "unable to express its simmering discontent over the management policies", leading to strained ties between them and the management, he said while expressing his condolences to members of the bereaved family. The Minister is expected to visit the incident site on Wednesday.

About two months back, workers of the company were dismissed. The CEO of the company was reportedly beaten to death by a group of dismissed employees inside the premises after a compromise meeting called failed.