Man goes on hunger strike after company fires him while battling Cancer
Pune: A multinational company in Yerawada is facing strong criticism after dismissing an employee who was undergoing cancer treatment. The employee, Santosh Patole, worked as a Facility Manager for eight years and has more than two decades of professional experience.
Patole said he was removed from service while he was still in treatment. He was diagnosed with thyroid nodule isthmus cancer in April during the firm’s annual health check-up. After receiving the diagnosis, he took medical leave in May and June for surgery and further treatment. During this period, the company paid for his medical expenses.
Doctors cleared him to resume work on July 1. However, before he could return, he received a termination letter on July 23. Along with the loss of his job, he also lost the medical support that had been funding his cancer care. Patole claimed the company accused him of making a decision that could have caused a loss of ₹2.5 to ₹3 crore, though he said the project mentioned was never even implemented. He alleged that the company refused to hear his explanation and dismissed him without considering his medical condition.
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Following the termination, Patole began a hunger strike outside the company’s Pune office. A widely shared photograph shows him sitting inside a small tent with protest banners, including one reading: “#WhySLBWhy? Cancer Patient Fired By US MNC Begins Hunger Strike. Employees Are Humans, Not Numbers.”
The incident has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with several users criticising the company’s handling of the situation and raising concerns about job security for employees dealing with serious health issues. One user wrote, “Everyone is just a number in someone else’s company,” while another suggested Patole approach the IT labour cell in Pune for support. Others shared similar experiences, pointing to broader concerns regarding corporate responsibility and support for employees facing life-threatening illnesses.
The protest and online backlash have brought renewed attention to the treatment of workers undergoing major medical crises and the policies companies follow in such situations.
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Elderly man dies after part of slab falls on him in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): A 75-year-old man died after some portion of a slab in a two-storey residential structure collapsed on him in Mumbai's Bhandup area on Saturday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred at Tulshipada in Patkar Compound of Bhandup West around 9.45 am, they said.
"The victim, identified as Susai Daevdas Kaunder, was injured when some part of the slab on the upper floor of a two-storey structure fell on him," a civic official said.
He was immediately taken to nearby Navkaar Hospital, where he was declared dead, the official said.
