Italian Police Arrest Gangmaster After Worker Dies From Injury
Italian police have arrested Antonello Lovato, the owner of a farm, following a tragic incident in which Satnam Singh, a 31-year-old Indian farm laborer, lost his life after being abandoned by his employer. Singh suffered a severe injury when his arm was severed by a strawberry wrapping machine in Lazio, near Rome, last month.
The horrific accident occurred when Singh was working on the farm and was left without medical assistance after his injury. He bled out and died two days later in a Rome hospital after being airlifted there. According to police reports, the victim would likely have survived if he had received prompt medical attention.
Lovato, the alleged gangmaster, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter for abandoning Singh, leaving him by the side of the road without help. Singh’s severed arm was placed in a fruit crate before he was dumped near his home. His widow, Soni, was treated for shock after the incident and has since been granted a special stay permit to resolve her illegal immigration status in Italy.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for action against gangmastering, a practice that is unfortunately common in Italy, especially in the south. Many migrant laborers, particularly those from India, work in fields under brutal conditions, earning low wages and facing poor treatment.
India’s government has expressed deep concern over the tragic death and urged Italian authorities to act swiftly against those responsible. The Indian Embassy in Italy has been in contact with Singh’s family to provide assistance and arrange for the transportation of his remains.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the inhumanity of the incident, and Minister of Labour Marina Calderone referred to it as an “act of barbarity.” Opposition leaders, including Giuseppe Conte of the 5-Star Movement, have also called for a crackdown on the exploitation of migrant workers in Italy’s agricultural sector.
Gangmastering, or the exploitation of migrant workers in Italy, particularly in fruit-picking, has long been a serious problem. Workers, often from countries like India, are subjected to inhumane working conditions with little to no legal protection.
This tragedy highlights the broader issue of exploitation within Italy’s agricultural industry, which has seen rising fatal workplace accidents this year. Authorities are now under pressure to take action to prevent further incidents and protect vulnerable workers.