Bengaluru Police plan on exhuming the body of a 30-year-old migrant worker who died under suspicious circumstances and was allegedly buried by his employer near Whitefield. The deceased worker, MD Rasul Hawladar, died allegedly by suicide about two weeks ago on January 14. He was later allegedly buried by his employer Mohammad Ramjan and another worker named Rasal who was also employed by Ramjan, at a graveyard in Khajisonnanahalli. Ramjan and Rasal allegedly buried him without informing his relatives or the police. 

The incident came to light when an informer of the police alerted them. An FIR (first information report) was later filed based on a complaint from Rasul’s distant relative, Achiman Sheikh. The complaint alleged that Rasul, who was a ragpicker, was often physically and mentally abused by his employer Ramjam. It also alleged that Ramjan would not pay Rasul’s wages in time and often not pay him his full wages. Instead, he would tell Rasul that he should be grateful that he wasn’t sacked already, the complaint said. 

On January 14, when Rasul went to ask for his wages, Ramjan allegedly took him to a shed and left him there after refusing to pay him. Dejected, Rasul died allegedly by suicide. When he was found dead by a few workers, Ramjan allegedly threatened to evict them from their homes if they alerted anyone. He then allegedly buried Rasul with the help of one of his workers, Rasal.

“The body has to be exhumed in the presence of the Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), therefore it will be exhumed in a day or two. However, we have arrested Ramjan and Rasal for not alerting us and burying the body,” said S Girish, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield Division.