Tragic Death of Assam Worker in Tamil Nadu Raises Safety Concerns

Incident Overview

Guwahati, May 30: Another tragic incident has occurred involving a worker from Assam, who lost his life under violent circumstances while working outside the state, raising serious concerns about the safety of migrant laborers from the region across India.

Details of the Incident

Prasenjit Das, a 35-year-old resident of Dudhnoi in Goalpara district, was brutally attacked and killed by a mob in Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, on Friday evening.

He had recently arrived in Chennai just two days prior, seeking employment after departing on Monday.

According to local police reports, Das ventured out to familiarize himself with the area when the incident unfolded. Initial investigations suggest that he may have behaved inappropriately towards a local woman while intoxicated, approaching her home under the guise of requesting drinking water.

When the woman secured her door, Das reportedly began vandalizing the windows with a knife, prompting her to alert her relatives. A group of locals soon gathered and attacked him, leading to his eventual death from injuries sustained during the assault.

At the time, he was sharing a rented room with six other Assamese laborers who had also come to the area in search of work.

Family's Heartbreaking Response

The news of Prasenjit's death came as a shock to his family in Goalpara, especially following a distressing final phone call that has left them devastated.

His sister recounted, "He left for Chennai on Monday and arrived on Wednesday. He went out to explore the area and then went missing. We began searching for him, and later received a call from the police informing us of his death."

According to family members, Prasenjit made a desperate call shortly before the attack, crying out for help, saying, 'Save me, people are coming with swords to kill me.' After that, his phone was turned off.

The grieving family is now seeking assistance to repatriate Prasenjit's body to Assam for his last rites.

"We want his body brought home by any means necessary, and we demand justice for those responsible," his sister expressed through tears.

Ongoing Investigation and Context

A case has been filed, and an investigation is currently underway.

This incident adds to a troubling pattern of violence against workers from Assam who have met tragic fates far from their homes. For instance, on May 1, a 32-year-old migrant worker from Lakhimpur district was found dead at his workplace in Bengaluru.

Earlier this year, on January 8, Kiran Handique, a 23-year-old from Handique village in Dhalpur, died while working in an iron factory in Manipur's Senapati district.

In response to these tragedies, the Assam government initiated the Shraddhanjali scheme in October 2025, aimed at ensuring the dignified return of the remains of individuals from the state who die outside Assam. This initiative was launched following the deaths of nine migrant workers at a construction site in the Ennore Special Economic Zone near Chennai, which briefly highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by Assam's migrant workforce.