A fresh tragedy has struck Odisha’s migrant labour community as Muna Gond, a dadan worker from Bagbeda village under Kurabeda panchayat in Raighar block, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Tamil Nadu.
According to reports, Muna had travelled with his second wife, Sumati Gond, in October 2025 to a town nearly 400 km from Chennai for work. On Saturday morning, Sumati informed the family that Muna’s body had been discovered hanging inside their rented accommodation. The family, however, refuses to believe it was suicide and has urged the Odisha government and local administration to help bring the body home for proper rites.
Relatives, including Ratan Gond, have lodged information with Raighar Police, who stated that post‑mortem would be conducted in Tamil Nadu before repatriation. No case has yet been registered locally. The family has also contacted the employer to facilitate the return of the body.
Questions remain over how the couple reached Tamil Nadu, who arranged their employment, and whether coercion or foul play was involved. Locals demand a thorough investigation into the incident and stronger oversight of labour agents who lure tribal youths from Raighar and neighbouring areas with false promises of high wages.
Activists allege that many such workers face exploitation and abuse outside the state, with deaths often dismissed as suicides. They urge authorities to take stringent action against trafficking networks and ensure safe migration practices for Odisha’s vulnerable workforce.
