Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Italian employer who left injured Indian worker to die arrested

Italian employer who left injured Indian worker to die arrested

Italian police have arrested the owner of an agricultural company who abandoned a 31-year-old Indian worker on the road without medical assistance after his arm was severed by heavy farm machinery, leading to his death.

Satnam Singh's arm was severed by a strawberry wrapping machine in Lazio, near Rome, last month. He was left by his employer and died from "copious bleeding," according to the ANSA news agency. Singh, a Sikh casual farm laborer, was found and airlifted to a hospital in Rome, where he died two days later.


Police arrested Antonello Lovato on suspicion of causing Singh’s death. Prosecutors stated that Singh could have been saved if he had received prompt medical assistance.

"We were waiting for this news, we were angry," said Gurmukh Singh, president of the Lazio Indian community. "The worst thing Lovato did was to leave him outside his home instead of taking him to the hospital," he added. "An accident can happen, but not calling for medical assistance is unacceptable."

Singh's death has sparked outrage against gangmastering, which is widespread in Italy, especially in the south. Lovato reportedly loaded Singh and his wife into a van and left them by the side of the road near their home, placing Singh’s severed arm in a fruit crate. Singh’s widow, Soni, received a special 'justice' stay permit to end her illegal status in Italy.

On 26 June, India asked Italy to take prompt action against those responsible for Singh's death. Muktesh Pardeshi, Secretary [CPV & OIA], conveyed India's "deep concern" to Luigi Maria Vignali, Director General for Italian Citizens Abroad and Migration Policies. The Indian Embassy in Italy said it is in contact with Singh's family for consular help and transportation of his mortal remains.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni described Singh as the victim of "inhuman acts." She stated, "These are inhumane acts that do not belong to the Italian people. I hope that this barbarity will be punished harshly."

Italy's minister of labour, Marina Calderone, called Singh's death an “act of barbarity." Giuseppe Conte, leader of the opposition 5-Star Movement (M5S), urged action against gangmastering, highlighting the brutal conditions faced by workers. Conte wrote on X about the severe exploitation of laborers, comparing the situation to historical slavery.

Gangmastering and the violent exploitation of migrant farm labourers remain chronic issues in Italy, particularly in the south. Latina hosts thousands of immigrant laborers, many of them Sikhs, working for the local 'agro-mafia.'

Workplace accident insurance agency INAIL reported that fatal accidents in Italy rose to 268 in the first four months of this year, up from about 100 last year.

(With inputs from PTI)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less