From Our Correspondent
KHLIEHRIAT: As many as nine people, who were brought from Assam for working in a coal mine in East Jaintia Hills, were allegedly abandoned by their leader (Sardar).
According to reports, nine workers were brought from Nagaon in Assam by the Sardar identified as Jitan Naik five days ago.
The workers and their Sardar belonged to the village under Baluguri tea garden area of Samaguri police station in Nagaon.
They were brought by the Sardar to work in Shohksih mining area in East Jaintia Hills.
According to the workers, since Saturday, they were not able to trace the Sardar.
Without food and cash in hand, the workers walked for 15 km and further roamed around in Khliehriat only to be apprehended by the volunteers of Village Defence Party of Mookhep village.
Subsequently, they were brought to Lad Rymbai police outpost where they spent the night.
Birsa Munda, an affected worker said that the Sardar promised that they will only work over ground of the mines, but instead they were forced to go deep inside the mines to extract coal.