Mamata Banerjee calls Purulia migrant’s killing in Pune a ‘hate crime’, demands swift action

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed shock and anger over the murder of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Purulia who was working in Pune, Maharashtra, calling the incident a “hate crime” and demanding immediate arrests and exemplary punishment for those responsible.

In a strongly worded post on X, the Chief Minister said she was “shaken, enraged, and sickened beyond words” by the killing of Mahato, the sole earning member of his family.
Alleging that the victim was targeted for his language and identity, Banerjee blamed what she described as a growing climate of xenophobia for such attacks on migrant workers.

Advertisement

“This is nothing short of a hate crime. A young man was hunted, tortured, and murdered for his language, his identity, his roots. This is the direct consequence of a climate where xenophobia is weaponised and innocents are turned into targets,” she wrote, adding that Bengal stood with the bereaved family.

I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi.

I…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 13, 2025

According to available information, Mahato, a resident of Tumrasol village in Purulia district, was employed at an auto parts factory in Pune.

He went missing on February 9 after leaving for work, and his body was recovered the following day. The Trinamool Congress has alleged that Mahato was murdered, while district-level party leaders visited his family in Purulia following the recovery of the body.
The incident has once again brought the safety of migrant workers from West Bengal into sharp focus.

In recent weeks, reports of unnatural deaths of migrant workers from the state in other parts of the country have triggered political reactions and concern among families.
Earlier, the body of a migrant worker from Harishchandrapur in Malda district was found near a railway track in Chennai.

The family had alleged that he was pushed from a moving train, suspecting foul play, leading to a political row over the circumstances of his death. In another case, the body of a migrant worker from Usti in South 24 Parganas was recovered from a garment factory in Andhra Pradesh.

Separately, allegations of the murder of a migrant worker from West Bengal in Jharkhand had led to unrest in Beldanga in Murshidabad district last month.
However, following an investigation by a special team of the Murshidabad district police, the authorities claimed the worker, who was employed in Jharkhand, had died by suicide. Police cited post-mortem findings and video evidence from the spot to rule out foul play.
The killing of Sukhen Mahato in Pune has now added to a series of incidents involving migrant workers from West Bengal, prompting the Chief Minister to seek strict action and renew calls for ensuring their safety outside the state