Family receives Dulal Paul's body after CM Sonowal's assurance

10 days after the demise of 65-year-old declared foreigner Dulal Paul, his family has agreed to accept the body and perform the last rites. A resident of Alisinga village near Dhekiajuli town in Sonitpur district, Paul was sent to the detention camp in 2017. As per medical reports, he died of diabetes and renal complications at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital on October 13, 2019.

His family members alleged that Paul died due to the unavailability of proper medical facilities in the Tezpur detention camp where he was lodged on October 11, 2017, after a Foreigners’ Tribunal in Sonitpur district declared him a foreigner.

After Dulal Paul’s demise, his son said the family will accept the dead body and perform the last rites only if the government declares Paul as an Indian citizen. For 10 days the body remained in the morgue at GMCH until the family agreed to accept it earlier today.

In the interim, Forest and Environment and Fisheries and Excise minister of Assam, Parimal Suklabadiya, many other high profile government officials and politicians visited the Paul family and requested them to accept the dead body but the family resisted.

As per available reports, today, Paul family was assured that the government will help them in their legal fight after which they agreed to accept the body. Reports also suggest that CM Sarbananda Sonowal assured the family to pay a visit.

MLA, Shiladitya Dev went to meet the family and handed over the dead body. He said he is grateful to the family for accepting the body. At the same time, he also said that he salutes the fight of the family as it was not only for Dulal Paul but for many others in the detention camps in Assam.