Pune Police Dismiss Hate Crime Theory in Migrant Worker Murder Case
Police authorities in Pune have categorically stated that the brutal murder of a migrant worker from West Bengal's Purulia district in Koregaon Bhima was the direct outcome of a personal altercation and not a hate crime, as alleged by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This declaration comes amidst heightened political tensions and conflicting narratives surrounding the tragic incident.
Police Investigation Points to Personal Dispute
Pune Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Sandeep Singh Gill addressed the media on Thursday, providing crucial updates on the ongoing investigation. "We did not find any indication in our investigation so far that the murder was the result of communal targeting or a hate crime," SP Gill emphasized. He revealed that the victim, identified as 24-year-old Sukhen Mahto, had engaged in a verbal dispute with two individuals on the day of the incident. Police teams are actively searching for these two prime suspects, who currently remain at large.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the Pune Rural police have not uncovered any evidence supporting the hate crime angle. Mahto, who worked as a machine operator at a local firm in Koregaon Bhima, was discovered dead on Tuesday with severe injuries inflicted by sharp weapons on his head, face, and hands. A case has been officially registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Shikrapur police station, with further investigation vigorously underway.
Contrasting Claims from West Bengal Leadership
Earlier on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media platform X to express her profound outrage over the killing, labeling it unequivocally as a "hate crime." In a strongly worded post, she wrote, "I am shaken, enraged and sickened beyond words by the barbaric murder. 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."
Chief Minister Banerjee highlighted that Sukhen Mahto was the sole earning member of his family, demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators. She also extended assurances to the victim's family, pledging that all possible efforts would be made to secure justice for them. This incident has reignited political friction, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led government in West Bengal previously alleging hate crimes against migrant workers from the state in BJP-ruled regions, while Bengal BJP members have consistently dismissed these allegations as baseless, especially in the context of the poll-bound state.
Detailed Account of the Incident and Investigation
According to police reports, Sukhen Mahto resided in Koregaon Bhima with his two brothers in a rented house, all employed at the same local company. A senior officer from the Shikrapur police station noted, "None of the family members alleged hate crime in their complaint," underscoring the personal nature of the dispute as perceived by the victim's immediate kin.
The sequence of events indicates that Mahto left his residence around 3 PM on Monday to report for work but never arrived at his workplace. His body was subsequently found the following day behind a hotel in Koregaon Bhima, situated along the busy Pune-Ahilyanagar highway. The formal complaint in the case was filed by his elder brother, initiating the police investigation.
Police authorities have clarified that the two suspects do not appear to have been previously known to the victim. Based on details gleaned from the investigation conducted thus far, it is probable that the verbal dispute between Mahto and the suspects occurred only on the day of the incident, further supporting the theory of a spontaneous personal conflict rather than premeditated hate-based violence.
As the investigation progresses, the Pune police remain focused on apprehending the suspects and uncovering the full truth behind this heartbreaking murder, while political discourse continues to swirl around the interpretation of the crime's motives.
