Five migrant workers from Bengal go missing while returning from Odisha

india

Updated: Apr 24, 2020 15:39 IST

Five migrant workers from three villages in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district have gone missing while they were returning home from Odisha earlier this week.

Their families claimed that they talked to the youths for the last time on Tuesday when they were somewhere in Burdwan in Bengal. The police have started a probe.

Families of the youths said that around two months ago Rashel Sheikh,18, Bahadur Sheikh,16, Uzir Sheikh, 19, Jiyaur Sheikh,40 and Ashraful Sheikh,42, from Lichutala, Raghunathpur and Hasanpur villages in the Suti police station area went to Odisha.

After the lockdown was announced they had no place to live and were not getting any food, the families told the police.

Samaun Sheikh, brother of Rashel Sheikh, said “Rashel and the others went to Odisha looking for jobs. They were working as masons and labourers at a construction site. On April 20, they boarded a truck along with 12 others and left for West Bengal.”

The truck, said Sheikh, had gone to Odisha to unload potatoes from Burdwan district and the driver agreed to carry the men in exchange for Rs 2000 per head.

“At around 10 am on April 21, the driver dropped them off near a bus terminus. My brother said over phone that he and the others were safe. We have not heard from them since then,” said Sheikh.

“Rashel and the others had planned to board any vehicle heading for Murshidabad. His phone, as well as those of the other four, are switched off. We are extremely worried.”

On Thursday, the families contacted officials at Suti police station.

Superintendent of police Jangipur police district, Y Raghuvamshi, said, “We came to know of the incident on Thursday. We are trying to find the missing men.”