Gogoi orders probe into death of 14 Assam labourers in Meghalaya

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday asked state’s Additional Chief Secretary Shyam Lal Mewara to inquire into the circumstances leading to the death of 14 labourers, hailing from Assam, that occurred in Meghalaya on Sunday.

The inquiry was ordered in view of the allegations of foul play leading to the death of the 14 persons. The Meghalaya Police, however, have ruled out foul play, saying the labourers had died following consumption of poisonous fruits that they had collected from the jungle.

The 14 persons were among a group of labourers from Dhubri district in western Assam who had gone to work on a road construction project in a remote village in East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya.

While the bodies of the 14 persons were taken to Dhubri district early Wednesday morning, local groups blocked highways and demonstrated, demanding a thorough inquiry into the incident as also a fresh post mortem examination. The authorities in Assam in fact conducted post mortem examination of all the bodies before they were handed over to the respective families for burial.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla has taken up the matter with his Meghalaya counterpart PBO Warjiri to ascertain the exact reasons behind the death of the 14 persons from Assam.

Source:: Indian Express