Minor girl found hanging at tea estate director's bungalow in Assam's Cachar, probe underway

A minor girl was found dead under mysterious circumstances at the bungalow of the director of Borakhai Tea Estate in Assam's Cachar district on Wednesday, July 29 prompting a police investigation into the incident.

The deceased has been identified as Jonaki Orang, who had reportedly been working at the residence of the tea estate's director, Rajan Sudan, for nearly six months. The bungalow is located under the Barkhola Assembly constituency.

According to the victim's family, Jonaki left home at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday for work, following her usual routine. Approximately two hours later, the family received information that she had collapsed after reportedly feeling dizzy. When they reached the tea estate, they were informed that she had already been shifted to the Dak Bungalow Primary Health Centre. Doctors at the health centre declared her dead on arrival, the family said.

Providing his account of the incident, tea estate director Rajan Sudan said he had spoken to Jonaki earlier in the morning. He claimed that shortly afterwards, he heard loud cries and rushed to a storeroom behind the bungalow, where he allegedly found her hanging. With the assistance of other employees, she was brought down and immediately taken to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

The circumstances surrounding the death have raised several questions, with the victim's family alleging inconsistencies in the sequence of events. They claimed that Jonaki neither owned nor used a mobile phone. However, according to the family, a mobile phone was found near her after she was brought down. They further alleged that around 48 phone calls had reportedly been made from that device prior to the incident. Police have not issued any official statement regarding these claims.

Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to determine the exact circumstances leading to the minor's death. Officials said the cause of death will be established after the completion of the investigation and receipt of the post-mortem examination report. No arrests have been reported so far.