Mandya: A bonded labourer, who was working at a quarry in Hangarahalli in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district, has died at the quarry site yesterday and the villagers have suspected that the labourer has been murdered. The deceased is Kariyappa Maadar, a native of Obalapura village in Belagavi district, who was working at the quarry since a year.

Kariyappa, along with his wife Kakavva and his brother Mahadeva Maadar, had come from Obalapura village and was working at the quarry in Hangarahalli belonging to one Umesh. As they had taken Rs.70,000 from Umesh, they were allegedly made to work as bonded labourers.

As the agreement came to an end on Tuesday, Kariyappa and others informed the same to quarry supervisor Puneeth, who reportedly beat Kariyappa black and blue in front of his wife.

Puneeth then took Kariyappa telling him that he would show him his account. While Kakavva, Mahadeva and a small kid were waiting for Kariyappa to return, a person who came to them after sometime told them that Kariyappa had died besides asking them to see for themselves. When Kakavva and others went to see, they found Kariyappa’s body hanging.

The Police, who received information, went to the quarry and shifted the body to a hospital. Meanwhile, leaders of BSP and Dalit organisations, who rushed to the spot, collected information from Kariyappa’s family and after exerting pressure, the Police have registered a murder case, it is learnt.