Three Assam men among Goa nightclub fire victims; families blame lack of jobs back home
Guwahati: Three persons from Assam were among the 25 people who had died in the Goa nightclub fire on Saturday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The three victims Assam Rahul Tanti, Manojit Mal (both from Cachar district) and Diganta Patir (from Dhemaji district) were working as staff members. Deeply anguished by the tragic loss of lives in the Arpora fire incident in Goa, where three of our own lost their precious lives. Offering my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the swift recovery of all those injured, Sarma posted on X. Patirs mother told the media he went to Goa last year. He would always call me to enquire about our well-being, said the woman who stays at home along with her daughter. Patir's mother also claimed that both her sons were working in far-off states like Goa and Kerala, as there was no source of livelihood in Dhemaji, which is a flood and erosion-hit district of Assam. Patir's elder brother, who works in Kerala, has already left for Goa to collect the body. Neighbours appealed to the Assam government to bring the mortal remains to the state. The family is not in a position to bring the body. We are relying on the government. It has a scheme. We appeal to CM Sarma to bring the body, a neighbour said. The state government in October this year launched the Shraddhanjali scheme to provide complete assistance for dignified transportation of the mortal remains of people from Assam who lose their lives, anywhere outside the state. The scheme, approved by the state cabinet on June 22, will be implemented by the Special Branch of the Assam Police. Families or individuals seeking assistance can report such death cases through designated helpline numbers. Government of Assam, upon receiving a report of death and on verification, will ensure all logistical and other formalities to bring back the deceased to Assam for the final rites, Sarma had stated. The humanitarian initiative, which will cover the full cost of repatriating the mortal remains, aims to ease the financial and logistical burden on bereaved families. Deeply anguished by the tragic loss of lives in the Arpora fire incident in Goa, where three of our own, lost their precious lives. Shri Rahul Tanti, Cachar Shri Manojit Mal, Cachar Shri Diganta Patir, Dhemaji Offering my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 7, 2025 The bodies of Manojit Mal (24) and Rahul Tanti (60), both working in the nightclub kitchen, have been handed over to relatives who were also working in Goa. Mal and Tanti's family members have alleged that their children were forced to leave the village and the state, due to lack of livelihood opportunities back home. Both Mal and Tanti belong to the tea tribe community, and the villagers claimed that the condition of the tea gardens in Barak Valley was in a pathetic state, and so their children had to go to far-off places to earn a living. (With inputs from PTI)
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