Criminals from other states posing threat to Kerala; nearly 35 lakh migrant workers in state, 10,546 people involved in crimes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The increase in the number of criminals among migrant workers arriving in Kerala seeking work is spreading fear among the public. The recent cases in which a TTE was pushed to death from a running train in Velappaya in Thrissur and a High Court driver was beaten to death over a dispute over his pet dog demonstrate how prevalent other state criminals are in Kerala.

It appears that criminals are taking advantage of the fact that the majority of migrant workers in Kerala are not troublemakers. During the last assembly session, Labour Minister V Sivankutty said that since 2016, 10,546 foreign workers have been involved in crimes, including murder. No one knows the exact number of migrant workers in the state.

According to a 2013 report by the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation, there were 23.5 lakh migrant labourers in Kerala. It is estimated that there are around 35 lakh migrant workers in the state at present. The only figure available to the state government is that 5,16,320 people have registered under the Awaz scheme, which provides health insurance and other benefits to migrant workers.

Neither those providing jobs nor people providing accommodations do not know the real names of most of the migrant workers. Criminals are taking advantage of this situation by working in the state under the guise of workers. Many of them have fake identity cards.

There is no reduction in the number of crimes even after Assam native Amirul Islam was awarded a death sentence for murdering law student Jisha in Perumbavoor. People from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar are also coming to the state under false pretences.

127 murder cases

• 168 migrant workers accused in 127 murder cases
• 10,546 accused in all crimes

Cannot force migrant workers to register their names

• Mandatory registration is unconstitutional as an Indian citizen has the right to travel and work anywhere in the country
• The authorities can only collect the details of migrant workers through welfare scheme registration. However, the majority of migrant workers do not cooperate with this
• The police do not have the information of employers to collect information about migrant workers

Threat to train journey
It is alleged that the excess of migrant workers in the state is posing a threat to the safety of passengers on trains. Some of the migrant workers even board AC coaches without taking tickets. In November alone, 99,418 people were caught red-handed for travelling without a ticket.

Some of the heinous crimes committed by migrant workers in state

• Murdered a woman named Manorama in Kesavadasapuram and dumped her body in the well.
• An employee of a plant nursery in Ambalamukku was stabbed to death and her ornaments were stolen
• An Assam native was murdered by another migrant worker following a drunken brawl at a bar in Aroor
• Security employee Jose was murdered by an Assam native for stopping a theft attempt at a rubber factory
• Migrant worker beaten to death by a friend in Pathanamthitta
• A woman killed by two Assam natives during a theft attempt in Malappuram
• 60-year-old woman murdered by Assam native in Puthanvelikkara in Ernakulam
• 14-year-old girl subjected to gang rape by four migrant workers in Ernakulam
• 174 migrant workers arrested for attacking police in Kitex, Kizhakkambalam