In Odisha, a migrant worker was beaten to death after being falsely accused of being a Bangladeshi national.
The incident took place on Wednesday evening around 8.30 pm in the Shantinagar area of Sambalpur city. The deceased has been identified as Juel Shaikh, a 19-year-old daily wage labourer from West Bengal.
According to police and local sources, Juel Shaikh had stopped at a tea stall after finishing his work for the day. Three other migrant workers were also present with him. At that time, a group of four to five unidentified men arrived at the spot and began questioning the workers.
The attackers accused the labourers of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and demanded identity documents. Even after the workers showed valid ID cards, the assailants allegedly dismissed them as fake and started assaulting the group.
While three of the workers managed to escape, Juel Shaikh was caught by the mob and beaten. He died on the spot due to severe injuries. The attackers fled the area soon after the assault.
A police officer said, “The victim was badly assaulted and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. We have seized the body and shifted it to the district headquarters hospital morgue. His family has been informed.”
The injured workers were taken to the hospital for treatment. Police said a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Thursday.
“We have registered a case and launched an investigation to identify and trace the accused,” the officer added.
