Migrant worker from Alipurduar found dead in Kerala’s Malappuram

Alipurduar: Only 15 days after travelling to Kerala for work, a 26-year-old painter from Falakata, Alipurduar, was found murdered in Malappuram district.

The victim, Abul Hossain, a resident of College Danga in Ward No. 7 of Falakata Municipality, had been working under a contractor in Thrissur. Last Tuesday, after speaking to his wife, Anguri Shefali Khatun, around 8 p.m., he went missing.

On Friday night, Kottakkal Police informed the family that Hossain’s mutilated and decomposed body had been recovered from a forest in Kottakkal, about 76 kilometres from Thrissur. His mobile phone and bag were found separately at Thrissur Railway Station.

Police said the initial investigation points to a premeditated murder. The victim’s hands and legs had been bound with rope. CCTV footage from Tuesday night shows Hossain sitting on the veranda of his rented accommodation in Thrissur, receiving frequent phone calls and appearing agitated.

He was later seen climbing over the gate and disappearing into the darkness. No arrests have yet been made. Hossain’s father, Amir Hossain, and a relative have travelled to Kerala to bring his body home for the last rites. He is survived by his wife and a two-year-old son.

“This feels as if the sky has fallen on us,” said his uncle, Aminul Haque. “We cannot understand what could have led to such a brutal killing. We want justice.”

Falakata Municipality chairman Pradip Muhuri said: “We stand by the family. Could Abul Hossain have been a victim of the growing wave of provincialism in the country? We demand a thorough investigation and will take up the matter with the district police. Such a death is unacceptable.”