Guwahati/Lakhimpur: Four youths from rural Lakhimpur district of Assam were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Bengaluru, where they had been working, triggering grief and anger back home and raising fresh concerns over the safety of Assamese migrant workers.
The incident occurred in the Mutsandra area of Hoskote taluk in Bengaluru Rural district. The bodies were recovered on Saturday from a locked rented room, reportedly a labour shed near their workplace.
The deceased have been identified as Jayanta Sinte (25), Narendranath Taid (25), Doctor Taid (25), and Dhananjay Taid (20). All were residents of Lakhimpur district. Three—Narendranath, Doctor and Dhananjay—hailed from Namoni Borsamukh village under Ghilamora police station in Dhakuakhana, while Jayanta was from Shalmara village under Nowboicha.
According to preliminary information received by the families, the youths had cooked food inside the room late at night and gone to sleep. When repeated calls from outside went unanswered the next morning, local police were alerted, leading to the discovery of the bodies.
All four had reportedly been working at a Coca-Cola warehouse in the area for the past three months.
The families of the deceased have expressed serious concerns over the cause of death, stating that one of the youths had spoken to his family late at night. They have demanded a thorough investigation and appealed to the Assam government to facilitate the return of the bodies.
Karnataka Police have launched an investigation. The exact cause of death remains unclear, with investigators examining possibilities including suffocation, foul play and other factors.
Former ULFA leader Jiten Dutta on Saturday issued a strong statement over what he described as rising threats faced by Assamese migrant workers in other states. Expressing anguish over what he called a recurring pattern of deaths under mysterious circumstances, Dutta said such incidents have increased in recent times, particularly in states like Karnataka and Kerala.
“Sometimes a person calls home saying their life is in danger. Soon after, the family receives the body. In some cases, bodies are found at railway stations,” Dutta said, adding that the deaths of four youths from the Mising community in Bengaluru have deeply shaken Assam.
He alleged that the Assam government has failed to take timely and effective action to ensure the safety of migrant workers.
“If similar incidents had occurred in Assam, there would have been nationwide outrage. But today, no one is ready to take responsibility for the safety of Assam’s sons,” he said.
Dutta urged people to protest on social media and made a controversial remark suggesting reciprocal action if Assamese youths continue to feel unsafe outside the state.
The Bengaluru deaths have added to a series of recent incidents involving Assamese migrant workers. In Lakhimpur district, the body of Ilias Shamim was recovered under unexplained circumstances in Arunachal Pradesh. In another case, Kiran Handique (23) died while working at an iron factory in Manipur, while Utpal Handique went missing while travelling to Bengaluru.
Other incidents include the alleged beating death of Sufi Alam Khan (33) from Barpeta in Tamil Nadu and the deaths of nine Assamese workers in a workplace collapse in Tamil Nadu in September 2025.