Tinsukia Police have arrested two persons for allegedly trafficking labourers illegally to Arunachal Pradesh in connection to the December 8 tragedy that claimed 21 lives when a truck plunged into a 200-metre gorge in Anjaw district.The arrested individuals have been identified as Md Sirajul Ahmed, a contractor, and Sairuddin Ali, a head mason (rajmistri), both residents of Balupara village in Guijan area of Tinsukia district. Police have registered serious charges against them under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Tinsukia SSP Mayank Kumar on Sunday confirmed the arrests, stating that the accused have been booked under BNS sections 143(3) for trafficking of persons, 105 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, 125B for acts endangering life or personal safety of others, and 61(2) for criminal conspiracy.
The charges stem from the devastating accident in which 22 workers—18 from Gelapukhuri Tea Estate and three from Dhelaghat Tea Estate—were being transported to a construction site when their truck skidded off the treacherous Hayuliang-Chaglagam Road. By Sunday morning, 20 bodies had been recovered from the gorge, with six already buried at Gelapukhuri on Saturday. There was only one survivor in the incident.
Speaking about the investigation, SSP Kumar revealed that mandatory protocols were ignored in transporting the workers. “During the investigation, it was found that the labourers were transported illegally without proper documentation or safety measures. Accordingly, a case was registered at Tinsukia Sadar Police Station, and an investigation was launched,” he said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to examine the entire network involved in the illegal operation. “We are investigating the entire chain, and more arrests are likely in the coming days,” the SSP said.
