The Pune Rural Police announced on Thursday that the murder of a 24-year-old migrant worker from West Bengal was a result of a drunken altercation rather than any language or identity-based motive. This statement comes in response to accusations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who suggested that the incident was a hate crime.
The victim, identified as Sukhen Mahato, hailed from the Purulia district in West Bengal and was working in a local industry in Pune. His death occurred on the night of February 9 in Koregaon. According to Police Inspector Dipratan Gaikwad, Mahato left his home around 3 PM for his job but failed to arrive. Instead, he was later found in Koregaon inebriated.
Preliminary investigations reveal that Mahato engaged in a confrontation with two individuals while under the influence of alcohol. CCTV footage obtained by the police allegedly shows Mahato arguing with the two men while appearing unstable. Although the actual incident of violence was not captured on the footage, Mahato was discovered later with fatal injuries from a sharp weapon.
“Our initial assessment suggests that the murder resulted from a dispute that occurred while the victim was intoxicated. There are no indications of any alternative motives at this time,” stated Gaikwad. Following this, police registered a case and initiated efforts to locate and arrest the suspects involved.
Additionally, she offered her support to the victim’s family, asserting that “Bengal stands with you” and pledged that all possible measures would be taken to ensure justice. However, police representatives have reiterated that the current investigation does not reveal any connection to language or xenophobia as motivations behind the incident.