Pune, February 12 After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed on Thursday that a 24-year-old migrant worker from her state was murdered in Pune for speaking in Bengali, police said he was killed by two people with whom he had an argument while intoxicated.
Two people, including a minor, have been detained in the case, and further investigation is underway, with police ruling out the possibility that it was a "hate crime" as alleged by Banerjee.
The incident took place in the late evening on February 9 at Koregaon, under the Shikrapur police station, they said.
"So far, the investigation has not indicated that the crime is a result of hatred towards any community... it was the result of a heated argument," said Sandip Singh Gill, Superintendent of the Pune Rural Police.
Sukhen Mahto, the deceased, worked in a local factory, said inspector Dipratan Gaikwad of the Shikrapur police station.
"He left his house to go to work at 3 pm on that day. But instead of going to work, he started wandering around in Koregaon while intoxicated and got into an argument with two people," the inspector said.
"Preliminary investigation suggests that following the argument, he was allegedly murdered by the two people. We have CCTV footage in which the deceased is seen in a distressed state and arguing with two people. The actual assault was not captured on the CCTV camera. But he was found dead with a sharp weapon nearby," Gaikwad said.
There was no other angle to the crime other than a quarrel, the official said.
"We have registered an offense and two locals, including a minor, have been detained," said inspector Gaikwad.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Banerjee termed the incident a "hate crime", and demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.
In a post on X, she said, "I am deeply saddened, enraged, and disgusted by the barbaric murder of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Bandwan in Purulia, who was the sole breadwinner of his family, in Pune, Maharashtra. This is nothing short of a hate crime. A young man was hunted, tortured, and murdered for his language, his identity, and his roots.
"This is a direct consequence of a climate where xenophobia is weaponized and innocent people are targeted," Banerjee added.
