Eight migrant labourers were killed and three others critically injured in the remote village of South Garo hills district of Assam late Sunday night, police said on Monday.
Superintendent of Police, South Garo Hills district, Davis Marak said that some mischief mongers taking advantage of the present situation prevailing in Garo Hills region attacked eleven labourers at “three different coal mining queries” in the Garegittim area near Nongalbibra in the South Garo Hills district on Sunday night, around 11 PM. Tey also stole money.
“In one of the query seven migrant labourers were attacked and killed, one laborer was butchered and three labourers survived despite the brutal attack,” Marak said.
It was reported that police discovered that miscreants robbed Rs 80, 000.
Marak also said the present condition of the injured persons is stated to be critical by the examining Doctors and they have been immediately shifted for medical attention to Goalpara hospital (Assam). The bodies of the other eight labourers have been sent for postmortem to Williamnagar Hospital.
The bodies recovered had puncture holes with sharp objects, some were also hit with iron rods.
The victims were identified as Babul Ali (17), Jirhul Islam (25), Harjit Ali (20), Fazir Ali, Modon Ali, Moinal Haque, Islam Ali and Shah Jahan Ali all hailing from the Goalpara and Dhubri district of Assam.
The injured were identified as Zakir Ali (45), Mojial Ali (52) and Ahidur Islam (35), all from Assam.
The SP said these labourers had just received their wages in bulk and some mischief mongers knowing the fact attacked them.
He also said the department cannot deny the fact of linking the incident to a communal flareup by the miscreants.
“Our boys are kept on high alert. We have intensified patrolling at vulnerable places,” Marak said.
Marak however informed that the District Administration had banned mining in South Garo Hills district.
“Despite the order, these labourers are working on these areas which are located in the interior locations of the district. Operations teams are asked to evacuate these labourers with escorts to safer locations,” SP Marak asserted.
Sources say that the killing of these migrant labourers has no connection to the Tura’s incident on Friday, where five labourers tried to molest a mentally challenged girl.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased labourers and urged the Meghalaya government to protect the labourers of Assam in the hilly state.
