Suicide by Indian sparks rampage

Local media reports said Madhu Babu, a resident of Tirupati district in Andhra Pradesh, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in an isolated room in the premises of a fashion house which produces clothes for a US company.

Babu, 25, arrived in Bahrain eight months ago and was working as a line operator in the factory.

Alleging that Babu was driven into taking his own life because of the ill-treatment by the company, over 400 workers have called for a probe into the alleged suicide. According to report in Gulf News, the tailor was suffering from chicken pox for the past two weeks. Angry workers went on a rampage damaging machinery, parts of the company's property and five cars after Babu was found dead, it said.

"The company had earlier reprimanded around 16 workers for various incidents and gave them warning letters," a company spokesman said. The factory, which makes trousers for US company, J C Penny, has been shut down until the issue is resolved.

The report said the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society has sent an official letter to Bahrain Labour Minister Majeed Al Alawi seeking an investigation into the incident.

The workers also submitted a petition to the Indian and Bangladesh Embassies, as well as the police, demanding action against the company. The Migrant Workers Protection Society has also taken up the case.