A 40-year-old migrant worker from West Bengal's Purulia district died under mysterious circumstances in Karnataka on February 19. The deceased has been identified as Prasanna Kumar of Cheka village under Kotshila police station.
Prasanna worked for a construction company in the Sampigehalli area of Karnataka. According to family members, he spoke to relatives around 11 PM on the night of February 19. The next morning, they were informed that he had passed away.
Local police have sent the body for a post-mortem. The exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
Family raises questions
Prasanna's nephew, Suraj Kumar, who also works in Karnataka, rushed to the spot after hearing the news. He said his uncle was alone in his room that night.
Suraj said Prasanna was supposed to catch a train on February 20 to return home. He had also planned to visit Vrindavan with a friend. "When I went to check in the morning, I learned he had died the previous night," Suraj said. He added that the family suspects there may be more to the incident.
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Suraj also said he does not have enough money to bring the body back home after the post-mortem. "I don't know how to return to the village with the body," he said.
Abhishek Banerjee speaks to family
Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee spoke to the family over the phone. Suraj confirmed that he also spoke to the leader and explained the situation.
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On Saturday, district TMC president Rajiblochon Soren, district chairman Shantiram Mahato, and MLA Sushanta Mahato visited the village. The leaders assured the family of support.
Shantiram Mahato said the company where Prasanna worked is arranging to transport the body back to Purulia. Local leaders said they are monitoring the situation to ensure there are no difficulties in bringing the body home. Further investigation is underway.