Jewel Rana aka Jewel Sheikh, a migrant worker from West Bengal, was murdered in Odisha allegedly on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi infiltrator. The 21-year-old migrant labourer from Bengal’s Murshidabad was fatally beaten up by a group of six youths on Wednesday night (December 24) at Sambalpur town in Odisha. The accused, who are also labourers from Sambalpur town, were arrested by Odisha police on Thursday morning.

Jewel’s colleague Mazar Khan was seriously injured. The horrific experience of that day still haunts him. Lying in his hospital bed, Mazar recounted the harrowing experience.

He said, “Some people came to us. First, they asked for bidi. Then they demanded to see our Aadhaar cards. In an instant, they lunged at Jewel. They brutally killed him by smashing his head with a heavy object right in front of my eyes.”

Jewel’s another colleague, Nizamuddin Khan, claims that they were harassed because they were mistaken for Bangladeshis. They were subjected to brutal torture, which led to Jewel’s death. Both Mazar and Nizamuddin are currently hospitalised with multiple injuries. Besides the physical pain, they are also mentally devastated.

What exactly happened?

As per sources, Jewel was having a smoke at a tea stall along with two of his friends — also youths from the minority community in Bengal — at Sambalpur town’s Shantinagar Palli around 10 pm after work when a group of six labourers started demanding bidis and money from the trio. When Jewel and his friends refused to give either, the group of labourers, who are reportedly locals from Sambalpur town, aggressively asked them to show their Aadhaar cards, which led to a heated argument.

The group of six men attacked Jewel and his friends in a fit of anger with whatever they could find lying around. Jewel collapsed after being hit hard on his head with a wooden plank. He was bleeding profusely. His friends also suffered injuries including a fractured leg.

Who was Jewel Rana, migrant labourer who was killed in Odisha?

Jewel Rana was a resident of Suti Block 1 in Murshidabad. He was working in Sambalpur, Odisha as a migrant labourer. Jewel had gone to Odisha with a group of young men on December 20. On Wednesday night, around 8:30 PM, Jewel and his friends went to a local tea stall. His two friends, who are also residents of West Bengal were already present there. They were talking to each other in Bengali. It is alleged that five miscreants arrived at the scene at that time. According to eyewitnesses, the migrant workers were branded as Bangladeshis and subjected to brutal torture. Jewel died on the spot after being hit in his head with a heavy object. Although he was taken to Sambalpur hospital, he could not be saved. After the post-mortem, his body, in a coffin, has reached his home in Murshidabad’s Suti.

Trinamool Congress Condemns incident, blames BJP’s anti-Bengali propaganda

Following the death of the worker from Murshidabad in BJP-ruled Odisha, West Bengal’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress, took to the streets. On Thursday, they alleged on social media that the migrant worker was killed in Odisha because he spoke Bengali.

The Trinamool post stated, “The lynching of a Bengali migrant worker in Sambalpur is the direct outcome of @BJP4India’s sustained campaign against Bengalis. A citizen of India was beaten to death because a mob believed the lie that Bengalis are infiltrators who must constantly prove their right to exist. This is the deadly consequence of BJP’s Bangla-birodhi politics. For years, BJP leaders have deliberately branded Bengali-speaking Indians as infiltrators, outsiders, and suspects. That poisonous narrative has now reached the streets, where anyone feels empowered to act as immigration officers and executioners.”

Odisha Police dismisses ‘Bangladeshi suspect’ allegation

However, the Odisha police have dismissed this claim. They claim that it was not because the labourers spoke Bengali or were suspected of being Bangladeshis. A migrant worker from Bengal has been beaten to death over a dispute involving bidis. This explanation was given by the Odisha police. They also stated that six people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Jewel Sheikh, a resident of Murshidabad, was working on a construction project in Sambalpur, Odisha. Several other workers from West Bengal were also working with him. The incident occurred on Wednesday night in the Shantinagar area of ​​Sambalpur. Police said that the migrant workers encountered a group of six people on their way back from work. One person from the group asked them for a bidi. An argument ensued, and according to the police, a scuffle broke out between the two sides. During this time, Jewel was severely beaten. He later died while undergoing treatment at Sambalpur hospital.

Subdivisional police officer (SDPO), Sambalpur, Tophan Bag said: “The murder was the outcome of a sudden provocation. A group of six people asked the youths (from Bengal) for bidis and later to show their Aadhaar cards. On refusal, the group attacked them (Jewel and his friends). Jewel succumbed to his injuries. We have arrested all the accused involved in the crime. All are labourers.”

Odisha Police IG (Northern Range) Himanshu Kumar Lal told the news agency PTI, “We have arrested all six people involved in this incident. The investigation is ongoing.”

When asked about the allegations made by West Bengal’s ruling party, Odisha IG Himanshu stated that whether the deceased young man was Bengali or Bangladeshi has no connection to the murder. The murder occurred due to a dispute over a bidi. Police are investigating the matter.

After the BJP-led Mohan Majhi government assumed power in June 2024, attacks on minorities have allegedly increased in Odisha. In July, Odisha detained 448 people, suspecting them to be Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingya refugees. Around 444 people were detained in Jharsuguda and the adjoining Sambalpur district.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share