Kochi, Aug 14: A migrant labourer working in a plywood factory in Perumbavoor, Kerala, has been arrested by Assam police for a murder committed in the northeastern state last year. This incident further underscores the significance of the Kerala government’s efforts to create a comprehensive database of the over 30 lakh migrant workers in the state. This initiative aims to curb the entry of criminal elements among the migrant population.
The arrested individual, Saiful Islam, aged 20 and hailing from Nagaon district in Assam, had gone into hiding after committing the crime. He had been working at the plywood factory in Perumbavoor for around a year. The local police were unaware of his involvement in the crime until Assam police reached out to them for his arrest. The breakthrough came through tracking Saiful’s mobile phone records, expediting his apprehension.
The Kerala government’s move to register migrant workers commenced on August 7, following a gruesome incident involving the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl from Bihar. The perpetrator was identified as a migrant worker from the same state. The investigation into the case revealed that the accused, Asafak Alam, aged 28, had been absconding while on bail for attempting to sexually assault a 10-year-old in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district in 2018.
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In April, Jharkhand police arrested a leader of the banned pro-Maoist organization, the People’s Liberation Front of India, in Kozhikode. The individual had been residing in Kerala as a migrant worker for at least a month. A lookout notice had been issued against Ajay Oraon, aged 27, in his home state. He was tracked down after the tower location of his mobile phone was traced.
Migrant workers primarily from West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Manipur, and Uttar Pradesh have found employment in various sectors such as construction, restaurants, mining, the plywood industry, and salons.
However, experts argue that creating a database of all migrant workers is a challenging task. “Individuals with criminal backgrounds will attempt to evade law enforcement and avoid registration. Only those who come to the state for employment would willingly participate,” explains Benoy Peter, the executive director of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development, an organization focused on migrant issues.
Law enforcement officials often find that employers accommodate such workers in cramped quarters with minimal amenities. This environment can serve as a safe haven for individuals with criminal histories. By having comprehensive data on all migrant employees, collecting their backgrounds, and preventing and detecting crimes could become more effective. Police data indicates that between 2016 and 2022, a total of 159 migrant workers were implicated in 118 murder cases within the state.
