Pune Police Rule Out “Hate Crime” Angle in Bengal Migrant Worker Murder, Say “Personal Dispute Led to Killing”

As political reactions intensify over the death of a young migrant worker from West Bengal in Maharashtra, Pune Rural Police have stated that the killing appears to have ‘stemmed from a personal altercation rather than linguistic or communal hatred’, urging the public to await the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

The body of Sukhen Dhiren Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Purulia district in West Bengal, was discovered on February 10, 2026, behind Hotel Aapla Ghar in Koregaon Bhima in Pune district. Police sent the body for post-mortem examination, which confirmed that he died from a severe head injury. Mahato’s brother subsequently lodged a First Information Report under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Shikrapur Police Station against unidentified individuals.

According to Pune Rural Police, preliminary findings suggest the incident was triggered by a personal dispute. Inspector Dipratan Gaikwad of Shikrapur Police Station said Mahato had allegedly been involved in an argument with two local men prior to the incident. CCTV footage reportedly shows him arguing with the individuals “in a drunken state” shortly before his death. While the assault itself was not captured on camera, Mahato was found dead soon afterward.

“Our primary probe suggests that following the spat, he was allegedly murdered by the two persons,” Gaikwad told reporters.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh Chopde stated that investigators believe Mahato was beaten during the dispute and sustained fatal injuries. “We suspect he was beaten up as a result of this dispute and was fatally injured. We have registered a murder case. Two suspects have been identified and a search is underway for them,” Chopde told The Indian Express.

The case has, however, taken on a political dimension. On February 12, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the killing in a post on X, describing it as a “barbaric” “hate crime.” She wrote that “a young man was hunted, tortured and murdered for his language, his identity and his roots. This is the direct consequence of a climate where xenophobia is weaponised and innocents are turned into targets.” She also called for “immediate arrests and exemplary punishment of the perpetrators.”

When asked directly whether the murder was being treated as a hate crime, the investigating officer said the motive had not yet been conclusively established. Police reiterated that the probe is proceeding on the basis of available evidence and standard homicide investigation procedures. However, he assured that the investigation is now being treated as top priority.​