Rizwan had allegedly jumped from the third floor of a building where he went to deliver a parcel after the customer's "unleashed" dog attacked him.
Published Dec 24, 2023 | 11:38 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 25, 2023 | 3:00 PM
On Saturday, 23 December, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy reportedly instructed government officials to extend ₹2 lakh financial assistance to the family of the Swiggy delivery boy who died in January after being chased by a dog and falling from the third floor of the building.
While the delivery boy Mohammed Rizwan’s family was still trying to seek more details of the announcement, officials from Reddy’s camp office as well as the government’s Labour Department paid a visit to them on Sunday.
“The officials sought our and Rizwan’s documents, such as his death certificate, our Aadhaar cards, ration cards, PAN cards, and FIR copy. They did not mention any particular amount, though,” Rizwan’s father Mohammed Siraj (55) told South First, appreciating the state government’s swift effort.
The incident in which Rizwan lost his life took place on 14 January this year. He jumped from the third floor of a building where he went to deliver a parcel because he feared for his life after the customer’s “unleashed” dog allegedly attacked him.
The Banjara Hills police initially registered a case against Shobana — the customer — under IPC Sections 336 (rash or negligent act endangering human life or personal safety) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to an animal in possession).
Rizwan’s family resides in a 2-BHK house in Sri Ram Nagar in the Yousufguda area of Hyderabad. He is survived by his father and four brothers, two of whom are married. His mother passed away in 2016 owing to a health ailment.
(left to right) Shaik Salauddin,TGPWU President, Mohammed Khaja and Mohammed Irfan (Rizwan’s brother), Mohammed Siraj (father) and Telangana Labour department official on 24 December at Rizwan’s residence. (Supplied)
Speaking to South First, Rizwan’s eldest brother Mohammed Khaja, who stays in a different house with his family, said, “Our financial crunch has increased ever since he passed away. He used to manage the finances of this house. Now, I have to pay the rent of both houses, which is ₹10,000, apart from the electricity and other household bills.”
He added: “I also manage the finances of my own family, which includes the school fees of both my children.”
Rizwan’s father Siraj has diabetes, and stopped working when Rizwan was employed at Swiggy in 2019.
However, he has now been compelled to return to work to shore up the finances of the family. “I work occasionally as a waiter at nearby weddings,” Siraj said.
The family has to also shell out money for Siraj’s medical checkup once in three months. “We have to get his treatment done at least once in three months. It costs around ₹4,000-5,000. If the sugar level rises, which usually happens in summer, we have to spend around ₹7,000-8,000,” Khaja said.
Mohammed Rizwan. (Supplied)
After the incident, a Hyderabad-based workers’ union demanded separate compensation for Rizwan from the online delivery platform Swiggy.
“As per the Workmen’s Compensation Act, the family should get a compensation of 40 percent wage multiplied by the age of Rizwan. Swiggy claims his salary was ₹25,000 per month. So, as per the calculations, the compensation amount should be around ₹22 lakh,” Shaik Salauddin, president of the Hyderabad-based Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), told South First earlier.
However, when South First reached out to Swiggy on 16 January, its spokesperson Shourya Rawool said, “This is a developing case, and our investigation is on. A fixed amount is paid by the aggregator (company) in such cases. The final amount will be decided once the investigation is over.”
But Khaja claimed that he has not got a response from Swiggy to date.
“I wrote them emails till July or August. But there was no response at all. Only once, when Salauddin sir contacted them, did they (Swiggy) say they could not help us financially,” he said.
South First had learnt that Rizwan might not be entitled to compensation from Swiggy because he was not a formally registered employee of the company at the time of the incident.
“This is correct, but not completely. He was working on my ID. But he was also a registered employee and had his own ID. After his death, Swiggy immediately deleted his details from their database,” said Khaja.
The sole financial assistance Rizwan’s family received so far is from the customer, Shobana, whose dog allegedly chased Rizwan before he jumped.
“She gave us ₹2.5 lakh a few months after the incident. The whole amount was spent in repaying the loans which we took for Rizwan’s treatment. So, now that money is also gone,” Khaja said.
Rizwan succumbed to his injuries at the Nizam’s Institute Of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad around 7 pm on 14 January.
Current Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced a comprehensive plan to support gig workers, including cab drivers, food delivery agents, and autorickshaw drivers on Saturday.
Speaking at a meeting in Hyderabad with representatives of gig and platform workers, he said the government would offer a ₹5-lakh accidental insurance cover and ensure a ₹10-lakh health cover for gig workers as part of the “Rajiv Arogyasri” scheme.
Reddy emphasised the state’s commitment to providing social security for workers in the unorganised sector.
The chief minister added that the government would examine Rajasthan’s existing policy for gig and platform workers to formulate a new and effective law during the upcoming Telangana budget session.
He asked the gig workers to submit applications between 28 December and 6 January, either online or physically in gram sabhas.
Salauddin, the TGPWU President, called the recent announcements a landmark achievement in Telangana’s history.
“Whether it is the health cover, accidental insurance or help to Rizwan’s family. I did not expect the announcement to come this quickly. The CM also announced making a coordinating mobile application for all the workers. He also warned the delivery companies to take care of the social security of their employees or else face action,” Salauddin told South First.
