Bolangir: A young man from Odisha, victimized by labour trafficking agents promising attractive opportunities overseas, has died in Mauritius.
The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Chhatriya from Saragiguda, located in the Titlagarh tehsil of Bolangir district, Odisha.
According to reports, Rakesh’s father, Jay Chhatriya, who was a labourer supporting a family of ten, passed away due to diarrhoea on August 8th. Rakesh had a conversation with his brother Umesh over the phone yesterday morning regarding this matter. He needed to return home for his father’s Dasah Kriya.
However, in the evening, Rakesh’s family received the tragic news of his death. Rakesh, the eldest of five brothers and three sisters, had worked as a labourer in Surat for many years due to his family’s financial situation. Last year, he was lured to Mauritius by labour trafficking agents.
The family mentioned that he was unable to provide financial support as he had previously done.
Praveen Agarwal, claiming to be the managing director of a company, alleged that Rakesh committed suicide and sent some purported evidence to the family. Praveen also sent a form via WhatsApp, written in Hindi, relinquishing any future claims from the company and requesting that Rakesh’s last rites be performed in Mauritius. He reportedly urged the family to sign the form and return it to him.
Upon learning of the incident, local MLAs notified the Collector and the Superintendent of Police. Subsequently, Biswajit Manbodh, the IIC of Titlagarh police station, visited the deceased’s family and received the same information from Praveen. Praveen also mentioned that the company would pay Rs 1 lakh to the family if the cremation took place in Mauritius.
Questions arise about Praveen Agarwal’s identity and his interactions with the IIC, the Titlagarh police station, and the family, without involving India’s High Commission or the Ambassador’s office in Mauritius regarding Rakesh’s death—a situation local intellectuals find hard to accept.
The bereaved family has claimed that Rakesh made several attempts to return to his homeland, but was thwarted by the traffickers as his passport and visa were concealed by them. The Dashakriya ritual for his father remains incomplete.
The public has called for the intervention of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to facilitate the repatriation of the body and to provide financial support to the bereaved family.
