Jharkhand: Para-teacher dies outside minister's home during night-long sit-in

Dumka (Jharkhand), Dec 17: A 40-year-old para-teacher died during a night-long sit-in outside the house of a Jharkhand minister in Dumka, with protestors claiming that he died due to cold.

The deceased, a contractual teacher, was identified as Kanchan Das, they said. The para-teacher was declared dead by doctors Sunday and other protesters claimed that he had died of cold on Saturday night, an official said.

Dumka Civil Surgeon A K Jha said they had information that one para-teacher has died in the course of agitation Saturday. The para-teachers across the state have been agitating for the last three months for regularisation of their services along with other demands. They had been staging indefinite rotation dharnas outside Jharkhand Welfare Minister Louise Marandi's house since November 25.

Das along with six others had joined the dharna Saturday, spent the night outside the minister's house and did not wake up Sunday morning, other members of the agitation said. He was rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead. Asked about the cause of death, AK Jha said, "We are waiting for the post-mortem examination report.

Then only we can confirm the exact cause of death." He said the report was likely to be available on Monday. The post-mortem was conducted by a medical board comprising a forensic expert and the board was constituted by the district administration Sunday, Jha said.

Dumka Superintendent of Police Y S Ramesh said the sit-in agitation ended Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, the minister condoled the para-teacher's death and talked to Dumka Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar in this regard.

Referring to the problem of the para-teachers, Marandi said Chief Minister Raghubar Das was abroad presently and she would discuss the matter with him once he was back. "We want to have a constructive discussion on the problems of the para-teachers," she said.

PTI