Bangla immigrant 'kills himself', employer discreetly buries body in Bengaluru

A suspected illegal immigrant from Bangladesh, who allegedly killed himself in eastern Bengaluru more than two weeks ago, was buried "discreetly" by his employer and a group of labourers.

Police are going to exhume his body for post-mortem and other investigations. They haven't ruled out that it could be murder.

M D Rasul Hawladar (30) is reported to have killed himself on January 14 at Seegehalli, where he lived in a shed. He worked for Mohammed Ramzan, 40, who is a native of West Bengal's Baragram village. He was given a bicycle and asked to pick up plastic bottles and other discarded materials.

While Hawladar went about his work, he was never paid the promised wages or on time. Ramzan would abuse and beat him whenever he asked for money. "You are a job shirker. You don't deserve full wages. You should be grateful that I haven't sacked you," the employer would tell him.

Hawladar was distraught. He was unable to send money home to Bangladesh. He was also disturbed because his wife was said to be having an affair.

Last straw

Things came to a head earlier this month when Hawladar once again asked Ramzan for his wages. Ramzan and his friend Rasal, who is from the same village in West Bengal, abused and beat him up.

Depressed and dejected, Hawladar is reported to have hanged himself to death.

After learning about the reported suicide, Ramzan allegedly warned his other employees against disclosing the incident to anyone. Those who speak up will be sacked and will meet the same fate, he is alleged to have warned his employees.

Ramzan later took the help of Rasal and some of his employees to bury Hawladar at Khajisonnanahalli, near Whitefield, and destroy evidence.

Police informants

Police learnt about the suicide and the quiet burial from their informants on January 28. Later, they received a complaint from Hawladar’s relative and fellow Bangladeshi Achiman Sheikh, 32, who works as a maid for Ramzan's wife. She named Ramzan and Rasal in the complaint.

Police have approached the court for permission to exhume the body for a post-mortem. "We will know the exact cause of death only after the post-mortem. For now, we have taken up a case of abetment to suicide, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, intentional insult and destroying evidence or giving false information to screen the offender," an officer said.

S Girish, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield), said: "We have taken up a case under IPC Section 306 (abetment of suicide). We will also investigate their nationality and whether they stayed illegally in Bengaluru."

Speaking to this reporter, Achiman said Hawladar had worked in Chennai before moving to Bengaluru.