A tripartite meeting of Maruti officials, workers’ representatives and the Government can help in creating conditions to restart production at the locked-out plant in Manesar, a team of Haryana lawyers has said. The lawyers’ team, led by Raghbir Singh Hooda, President, All India Lawyers Union-Haryana, met Maruti and police officials as well as workers in custody on July 28.

After queries two things emerged, said the team’s report. One, there was heavy engagement of contract labour in the plant, and two, this labour did not enjoy any rights or protection provided by labour laws.

Also, the team found out that all the injured officials suffered “grievous injuries on their legs and other non-vital parts” of the body and “none on the head, including the deceased”.

This fact establishes that while rioting, the object of workers was to beat up and not murder anybody, the report said. Further, none except the deceased suffered burn injuries, which shows that there was no intention to put any person on fire, it added.

Hooda, who visited the arrested workers, said a good number among them were apprentices. “They had nothing to do with the union,” he added.

>aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

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