Cachar’s Kamal Das Goes Missing In Maharashtra, Untraced For Over A Month

An 18-year-old boy from a poor family in Assam’s Cachar district has gone missing in Maharashtra, leaving his family in deep distress as their search for answers continues. The situation has been compounded by serious allegations that local police refused to register a formal complaint when the family approached them for help, forcing them to run from pillar to post in a desperate attempt to trace their son, who has been unable to reach since over a month now.

The missing youth has been identified as Kamal Das, a resident of Kamalabari village under Masimpur Panchayat in the Borkhola constituency. He had been working as a labourer in Maharashtra for the past six months under a contractor named Kailash Rana.

According to family members, Kamal was recently handed over to another contractor for work. Since then, they have lost all contact with him. His family said they have not been able to reach him since March 11.

Speaking to the media, Kamal’s father alleged that the contractor kept delaying communication, asking them to stay in touch, but provided no concrete information for nearly 10 to 12 days. Later, when the family managed to obtain another contact number from the contractor and called, they were informed that Kamal had reportedly run away four days earlier.

The distressed father approached the local police station in Cachar seeking help to trace his son. However, he alleged that the police refused to register an FIR or formally accept the complaint.

With no official action taken, the family now finds itself helpless and without direction. They have appealed to the district administration and the Chief Minister for urgent intervention to help locate their missing son.

Under Indian law, migrant workers are protected by the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, now subsumed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. These laws mandate that contractors and employers must register workers, provide clear employment details, ensure timely payment of wages, and take responsibility for their safety and well-being. They are also required to maintain proper records, facilitate communication, and inform authorities in case of any untoward incident.

In the present case, if the family’s allegations are accurate, there appear to be serious lapses in compliance, as the worker was reportedly shifted between contractors without transparency, and the family was not promptly informed about his whereabouts. Further, the alleged refusal by police to register a complaint, if true, may violate established procedure, as missing person reports are required to be accepted and investigated without delay.