ROME -- Business owner, Antonello Lovato, has been arrested on charges of murder following the death of Satnam Singh, an Indian migrant worker who bled to death after his arm was severed at work, according to the Carabinieri. 

  Singh, the 31 year old worker, was victim to an accident at work on  June 17 in Borgo Santa Maria. He was then transported and abandoned in front of his house with his severed arm left in a vegetable crate. He died two days later at the San Camillo di Roma hospital.

  The Preliminary Investigation Judge (GIP) ordered for Lovato to be put into custody, and charged with murder after the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Latina changed the charge from manslaughter. 

  The GIP explained that the business owner had already been incarcerated in order to “to sever Lovato’s contact with the outside world.”

  Lovato’s other workers are expected to provide witness statements in the investigation and “the climate of subjection in which the other foreign workers find themselves” and “the possible intimidation or external conditioning would certainly undermine the genuineness of their statements” continued the GIP. 

  “Had the Indian, who died from copious blood loss, been promptly treated, there is every possibility that he would have survived. The worker’s condition after the accident was so severe that the need for prompt aid was evident,” Latina’s Public Prosecutor’s Office wrote. 

  “Regardless of ethical evaluations (irrelevant to criminal law), which would also be required in the face of inhuman conduct of the most basic values of solidarity, it cannot be overlooked that the suspect intentionally and voluntarily disregard the probable consequences of his actions,” Giuseppe Molfese, the preliminary investigation judge for Latina, explained. 

  “Antonello Lovato, despite the expected emotional state, loaded the body into a van, abandoned the body and the amputated limb separately, (‘there was a black plastic crate, typical of what is used for fruit, inside which there was part of the hand, which was then recovered by medical staff’, according to a witness) abruptly moved away ('he started running towards the street where a white van was parked'), ordered silence to those present ('he made the finger gesture in front of his mouth, as if to tell us to be quiet'), cleaned the blood traces from the van used,” said Molfese. 

  The case has prompted criticism both in Italy and in India, with thousands attending a demonstration in Latina in June. "We were waiting for this news," said Gurmukh Singh, the President of the Indian Community of Lazio, "the worst thing he did was to leaving him in front of his house instead of taking him to the hospital. An accident can happen, but not calling for help is inadmissable."  

  Lovato, however, defended his actions stating “I did not call the ambulance because his wife told me to bring him to their house.” 

  Lovato’s father, Renzo Lovato, has been under investigation for five years for offences in another case, accused of having subjected “workers, at least six, to exploitative conditions and taking advantage of their state of need”. 

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