K Umarani, a 30-year-old female employee at the Aavin plant in Tiruvallur district, tragically passed away on Tuesday night due to a severe throat injury caused by her dupatta getting caught in a conveyor belt. The plant's supervisor, Varun Kumar, was arrested for negligence resulting in Umarani's death and placed in custody. In response, the Aavin management suspended two employees involved in the incident and initiated disciplinary actions against five others. The government has pledged compensation for Umarani's family and plans to implement uniform and safer dress codes to prevent similar accidents in the future.

Umarani, who hailed from Bommiampatti in Salem, had recently started working at the Kakkalur plant's packaging section, where her tasks included handling milk packets on the conveyor belt. Tragically, on Tuesday night around 10:30 pm, her dupatta became entangled in the machinery, leading to a fatal accident. Despite the immediate intervention of colleagues, Umarani could not be rescued in time.

Minister Mano Thangaraj emphasized the importance of reinforcing safety measures following this rare accident, the first of its kind at Kakkalur in 15 years. While standard operating procedures were already in place at Aavin plants, the incident prompted discussions on stricter safety protocols. Thangaraj acknowledged the challenges of implementing dress code changes, especially concerning cultural practices among rural workers, and proposed introducing overcoats as a safety measure.

Umarani is survived by two children, and the government is set to release a compensation of 10 lakh rupees to her family.The TN Milk Dealers Welfare Association's SA Ponnusamy mentioned that Thangaraj stated Aavin is currently negotiating with the Tiruvallur collector to secure appropriate compensation, terminal benefits, and settlements promptly for the said individual's family.