Tamil Nadu electrician working in Poland dead, family alleges murder

The family of a 25-year-old electrician from Tamil Nadu who was working in Poland are claiming that he has been murdered and have sought the help of Union Ministry of External Affairs’s (MEA) to retrieve the body of the deceased and also ensure justice.

P Venkatesan, who had done a diploma in electronics and electrical, went to Poland in November 2017, through a Chennai-based placement agency to work as an electrician at a private hotel chain in Warsaw, according to his family members in Vellore district’s Sambasivapuram.

“As we did not receive any phone calls from Venkatesan since Sunday, we rushed to the placement agency in Chennai. On Monday they said that he was slightly injured and resting. While we insisted that they show us his latest pictures, they informed us later in the night that he had died. Since the placement agency says that Venkatesan had injuries in his body, we believe this was a murder. However the agency is washing its hands off the matter saying its role ended after placement,” Venkatesan’s uncle S Pichandi told Hindustan Times.

“Venkatesan paid six lakh rupees to the agency to obtain this job. They promised him that he would get a salary of one lakh rupees per month. But last month he sent home just Rs.40,000. He shared accommodation with four co-workers including one from Bangladesh,” Pichandi added.

The family has approached the state police, the collector of Vellore and the ministry of external affairs seeking assistance to get back Venkatesan’s body and also get full details as to how he died, as they suspect foul play.

Vellore district authorities said they they have forwarded all details of the case including necessary documents to the ministry of external affairs and and they are coordinating with them to extend further assistance to the family.

“We are not sure that it was a murder or accident. However, we are coordinating with the MEA to get full facts and also to retrieve the body of the deceased as requested by the family,” Vellore collector S A Raman told media.