11 Pak migrants' deaths in Jodhpur: Will order any kind of inquiry, says Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said he will order any kind of inquiry into the death of 11 members of a family of Pakistani Hindu migrants at a village in Jodhpur. Gehlot paid floral tributes to the deceased at Lodta village and offered his condolences.

BJP national vice president and in-charge of party affairs in Rajasthan Avinash Rai Khanna has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the case.

He said the matter should be thoroughly investigated and if anyone is found guilty in the case, strict action should be taken. Chief Minister Gehlot met the relatives of the deceased and assured them all possible assistance.

"I am with you in this grief and understand your problems. I know you all have come here because it was difficult in Pakistan. I wish that you live here happily and flourish," he said.

"Police are investigating the case and the truth will come out. If you want any other kind of inquiry, it will be done," Gehlot added.

He also interacted with president of Seemant Lok Sangthan Hindu Singh Sodha and discussed the problems of people residing in the area.

The 11 family members, including five children, were found dead on Sunday morning inside the hut they lived in at Lodta village of Dechu area. The autopsies indicated the consumption of a poisonous substance, police had said on Monday, pointing at the possibility of a mass suicide.

A note found at the spot alleged threats from the relatives of the wives of two members of the family and harassment by police.

Kewal Ram, 35, told police that he spent the night in the fields, where he had gone to guard the crops, and came home in the morning to find everyone dead. Based on his complaint, police detained his wife and some other people for interrogation.

A preliminary investigation indicated a dispute between the victims and the families of the wives of two brothers — Kewal Ram and Ravi.

The family came from Pakistan's Sindh in 2015 on a long-term visa. For the past six months, the family members were living on the farm which they had hired for cultivation. Police had found chemicals and injection vials at the shack, leading to suspicion that some poisonous substance may have been administered to the family.

Two of the victims, Laxmi and Priya, are said to be nurses, the police had said, adding that their signatures appear on the note.

The victims included Budharam Bhil (75), his wife Antara Devi, their son Ravi (31) and daughters Jiya (25) and Suman (22). Another 40-year-old woman and five children were also among the dead.

(Photo Credit: PTI)