Baijnath Mahato, a labourer, was returning from Mumbai to his village in Jharkhand amid this nationwide lockdown. He boarded a truck along with many other labourers, but he died on the way. Other labourers fled from the scene as they feared he died due to coronavirus. The truck driver also quickly un-boarded all the labourers and went away taking along with him the body of Baijnath.

The report of his death has left his family in Jharkhand crestfallen. They are demanding from the government that if Baijnath is dead, they should at least be provided with his body.

Baijnath’s family lives in Penk Narayanpur village in Bokaro district of Jharkhand. Although the family has two acres of land, they were forced to work as labourers in the fields of others, as their land had turned barren. Before the lockdown, Baijnath had moved to Mumbai, about 1,800 kms away, to work as a daily wage earner, but got trapped there due to the lockdown.

Baijnath’s brother Suresh Mahato informed Gaon Connection over the phone: “During the lockdown, Baijnath wasn’t getting food regularly. Due to the non-availability of trains, he had to leave Mumbai for Jharkhand with other labourers on a truck.”

He added: “Another labourer, Tilak Chand Mahato, who was travelling with him by truck, called me on May 13. He said that Baijnath’s health had suddenly deteriorated and he had died on the truck.”

Tilak Chand also told Suresh that due to the sudden death, the other labourers, who were going to Uttar Pradesh-Bihar, feared he died to coronavirus. They fled and the truck driver escaped with the body of Baijnath. When he made that call, the other labourers had reached Sasaram in Bihar.

Baijnath’s family has been in a state of shock since the incident. Baijnath’s wife Chameli Devi said: “If my husband has died, I want his corpse.”

Even after ten days, the family could not get the body. Baijnath is survived by two sons Pawan and Pradeep, a daughter Madhu, his mother and wife. The younger son Pradeep is differently-abled.

Suresh informed: “We have lodged a complaint in the Penk Narayanpur police station. But even a week later, the police have not been able to find out anything about Baijnath’s body. So far, neither the truck nor the truck driver has been found. At least, then, for one last time, we could have looked at Baijnath’s face. His wife and the children have been crying since then. We are not getting any help from anywhere.”