Akanshya Shah

A Nepali laborer in New Delhi has met with a mysterious death on Wednesday leaving his friends and family aghast at the sudden demise.

The 26-year old Jit Bahadur Rana Magar, who was employed at a canteen in the most famous Yamaha showroom in Vikashpur area of Noida-NCR Delhi, died within two hours of leaving his Noida rental room. When his body was recovered from the canteen premises, there was a wound round his neck suggesting possible strangulation. In addition, scars were seen on his ears. Jit Bahadur hailed from Damauli, Tanahu district in Nepal and was working in Delhi for the past six years. “We are shocked that a person who was normal just two hours before was found dead at the canteen,” a grieving Ram Hari, Jit Bahadur´s friend, told Republica, adding, “Looking at his body there is every possibility that he was murdered.” Elaborating further, Ram Hari said, “At around 12 in the afternoon on Wednesday he left for work. At 2 o´ clock we got a call about his death.”

Ram Hari informed that no one was aware of Jit Bahadur´s enmity with the locals or other employees of the canteen. The contractor for whom Jit Bahadur was working could not be contacted for comments, neither did he show up at the scene of the incident. “He (Jit) was a simple man,” Ram Hari said.

Jit Bahadur´s acquaintances said that he was not suffering from any kind of disease as well. “He did not complain of any illness of late. He was completely fine,” a co-worker, who did not want to be named, said.

A case has been filed at Noida sector 49 police station. A postmortem was conducted on Thursday afternoon but the report is yet to be given by the Noida 39 hospital where it was conducted.

“We filed a police case and the incident is under investigation,” Om Magar, Jit Bahadur´s maternal uncle, told Republica. He added, “We have conducted the last rite today as the body was emitting bad smell due to the unbearable heat in Delhi.” Om Magar too said that the death “looks suspicious.”

Of late, many Nepali youth have died in Delhi under such mysterious circumstances. However, no follow-up or investigation is taken up by the police, who collaborate with the locals here to dismiss the case most of the times.

“We have repeatedly seen such cases where our boys are said to have died due to electrocution or by falling off stairs,” a local NGO activist said, adding, “Seldom does these cases see justice as the cases are put under the carpet. The cops are bribed and they always take the side of the employers.”

“Nepalis working here are innocent and their families hardly fight for justice. No compensation is awarded ever,” the activist added. The embassy too has taken a complacent attitude. When contacted for comment, the officials at Nepal embassy said they were unaware of the incident.

Published on: 21 May 2011 | Republica