“Hunted for his language…”: Mamata Banerjee Terms Bengal Worker’s Death in Maharashtra a “Hate Crime”; Demands Immediate Arrests

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that a 24-year-old migrant worker from the state was killed in Maharashtra for speaking Bengali, describing the incident as a “hate crime” and calling for the immediate arrest of those responsible.

“I am shaken, enraged, and sickened beyond words by the barbaric murder of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Bandwan in Purulia, the sole earning member of his family, in Pune, Maharashtra,” wrote Mamata Banerjee, taking to social media platform “X”.

Mahato, 24, hailed from Tumrasol village in the Barabazar area of Purulia and had travelled to Pune for work as a labourer. The precise circumstances and cause of his death are yet to be officially established. Authorities in Maharashtra have yet to issue a detailed statement on the circumstances surrounding Mahato’s death.

Calling the killing targeted and motivated by hatred, Banerjee alleged that the young man had been attacked because of his linguistic and regional identity. “This is nothing short of a hate crime. A young man was hunted, tortured, and murdered for his language, his identity, his roots,” she said. “This is the direct consequence of a climate where xenophobia is weaponised and innocents are turned into targets.”

The chief minister demanded swift action from the authorities in Maharashtra and sought exemplary punishment for those involved. “I demand immediate arrests and exemplary punishment of the perpetrators. And to Sukhen’s family, I say that West Bengal stands with you in this hour of unimaginable grief. No effort will be spared to secure justice,” she added. Banerjee also shared video footage purportedly showing the blood-stained body of the victim.

The incident has further intensified political tensions in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections due later this year. The All India Trinamool Congress has repeatedly accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of fostering hostility towards Bengali-speaking migrants and branding them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, a charge the BJP has denied.​