Abhishek Banerjee meets family of Bengal worker killed in Maharashtra, seeks justice

Banerjee said Maharashtra Police must oppose the bail plea by the two arrested persons in the killing of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant from Bandwan in Purulia district.

Kolkata: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday met the family members of a migrant worker from West Bengal, who was recently killed in Maharashtra's Pune, and demanded that the police in the western state ensure justice for the deceased.

He also said the Maharashtra Police must oppose the bail plea by the two arrested persons in the killing of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant from Bandwan in Purulia district.

"The Maharashtra Police should ensure that the family receives justice," the TMC national general secretary said after meeting the deceased's kin in Purulia, adding, "If those involved seek bail, the police should oppose the plea".

Referring to the Maharashtra Police, the TMC leader said, "If they cannot do it, transfer the case to us…within 50 days, we will solve the case."

Banerjee said Purulia has a BJP MP and Maharashtra was a BJP-ruled state, and urged the saffron party leader to intervene in the case.

"I want the BJP MP of Purulia to speak to the Maharashtra chief minister and the Union home minister to provide justice to this family," he said.

Banerjee alleged that such incidents were "mostly happening in BJP-ruled states", and accused saffron party leaders in West Bengal of prioritising politics over public interest.

"Most of the time, BJP leaders from here camp in Delhi to stop Bengal's funds. I hope he (Purulia MP) will rise above party politics and take up this matter," the TMC leader said.

Banerjee warned that if all the accused were not arrested, the party would send a team to the western state.

"If all the culprits are not arrested, we will send a delegation of MLAs along with the family and provide all necessary legal assistance," he said.

His remarks come a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the killing as a "hate crime", and demanded immediate action against those responsible.

In a post on X, the chief minister had said she was "shaken, enraged, and sickened beyond words by the barbaric murder" of the 24-year-old migrant worker, describing him as the sole earning member of his family.

"This is nothing short of a hate crime. A young man was hunted, tortured, and murdered for his language, his identity, his roots," she had said.

However, Pune rural police said he was killed by two persons with whom he entered into an argument in a drunken state and that there was "no other angle" to the incident.

According to the police, the incident occurred on February 9 in Koregaon under the Shikrapur police station limits, and two persons were held in connection with the case.