Assam man killed in Kerala over theft suspicion, six co-workers held

Guwahati, Apr 2: A 25-year-old man from Assam was allegedly beaten to death by six of his colleagues in Kerala’s Perumbavoor on Wednesday morning over suspicion of theft.

According to police from the Perumbavoor police station, the victim and the accused, all natives of Assam were employed at a plywood company in the area.

The assault reportedly took place after the group suspected the victim of attempting to steal a mobile phone belonging to one of them.

Police said the accused brutally assaulted the victim before taking him to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The hospital authorities subsequently alerted the police.

“All six accused have been taken into custody and are currently being questioned. We are in the process of collecting all relevant details,” a police officer said, adding that a formal case is yet to be registered.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the sequence of events leading to the fatal assault.

The incident comes at a time when Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has repeatedly raised concerns over the rising number of deaths of Assamese youths working outside the State, bringing the issue back into sharp focus.

The case follows a series of recent tragedies involving migrant workers from Assam in Bengaluru.

Nearly a month ago, Zubin Nath (25), a resident of Barpathar in Bijni, allegedly died in an accident at a tile manufacturing unit on Magadi Main Road after reportedly getting caught in a machine.

Earlier in January, four youths from Assam had died in a labour shed in the city, with suffocation suspected to be the cause.

The recurring incidents have renewed concerns over the safety and working conditions of Assamese migrants employed outside the State.

With inputs from PTI