A 19-year-old laborer from West Bengal, Juyel Rana, was lynched in the Shantinagar area of Sambalpur district, Odisha, on Wednesday night. Six individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Juyel, a resident of Chakbahadurpur village in Murshidabad district, was reportedly attacked after being suspected of being an “illegal Bangladeshi migrant,” according to friends and family. However, the Odisha Police refuted this claim, stating that the accused and the victim were familiar with each other.
The assault occurred as Juyel returned from work, during which assailants demanded to see Aadhaar cards and compelled him and his colleagues to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” Local activist Samim Rahaman noted that the assailants were armed with bamboo sticks and targeted the three men after identifying them as Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Although Juyel was rushed to a hospital, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Two of his co-workers, Akiur Rahman (19) and Sanowar Hossain (27), sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
Sambalpur Additional Superintendent of Police Srimanta Barik confirmed that the laborers had been living in the area for several years and were known to local residents. The news of Juyel’s death has left his family devastated, as he had traveled to Odisha just five days prior to work as a mason for three months, earning a daily wage of ₹600.
Local Trinamool Congress leaders, including Suti MLA Emani Biswas, have visited Juyel’s family to offer support. The Trinamool Congress condemned the killing as part of a “disturbing pattern” of suspicion, harassment, and violence against Bengali migrant workers in BJP-ruled states. The party criticized the government for perpetuating fear and hatred and called for an end to what they termed an “inhuman campaign of hate.”
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam, who heads the West Bengal Migrant Labour Welfare Board, expressed concern over the ongoing targeting of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled regions and questioned the implications for the Bangladeshi community. He called for increased advocacy from the Bengal government to ensure compensation for Juyel’s family.
Asif Faruk, state general secretary of the Parijayi Sramik Aikya Manch (Migrant Workers Unity Forum), remarked that Bengali migrants face targeting not only in Odisha but also in other states. He indicated that Odisha is among the states where crackdowns on alleged “illegal migrants” from Bangladesh have escalated, leading to the detention or assault of Bengali-speaking workers.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding migrant identities in India, particularly in the context of regional politics.
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