KOLKATA – West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has unleashed a fierce condemnation of the brutal killing of a migrant worker from her state in Pune, Maharashtra. Labeling it a blatant hate crime, Banerjee accused forces of weaponizing prejudice against outsiders, turning innocent lives into targets.
The 24-year-old Sukhen Mahato from Bandwan in Purulia was the sole breadwinner for his family. His savage murder in Pune’s Koregaon Bhima area has sent shockwaves through Bengal. Banerjee expressed profound grief and fury on her official X handle, sharing a video of the incident. ‘I am beyond words, devastated, angry, and hurt,’ she wrote. ‘Sukhen Mahato, who supported his family, was barbarically killed in Pune.’
Banerjee minced no words, calling it a ‘straight-up hate crime.’ She pointed out that the young man was targeted, tortured, and killed because of his language, identity, and roots. ‘This is the result of an environment where xenophobia is being turned into a weapon,’ she stated emphatically.
Demanding swift justice, the Chief Minister called for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators and the harshest possible punishment. ‘I demand that the accused be arrested right away and given the strictest punishment,’ she urged. Turning to Sukhen’s grieving family, she assured, ‘The entire Bengal stands with you in this hour of immense sorrow. No stone will be left unturned to deliver justice.’
This isn’t the first time Banerjee has raised her voice against attacks on Bengali migrants, particularly in BJP-ruled states. She has repeatedly cornered the central government over alleged persecution of Bengali-speaking people across India.
Details of the incident paint a grim picture. Sukhen, who had been working as a migrant laborer in Pune since 2021 at a car parts manufacturing company in Santabari near Koregaon Bhima, was found dead on Wednesday afternoon under Shikarpur police station limits. Police sources say he was beaten to death for speaking Bengali. His elder brother, Tulsiram Mahato, filed a murder complaint at the station.
As investigations unfold, the tragedy underscores deepening divides fueled by regional hatred. Banerjee’s outspoken reaction highlights the political undercurrents, positioning it as a battle against rising intolerance. Families like Sukhen’s continue to bear the brunt, far from home, seeking nothing but safety and dignity in their pursuit of livelihood.