A young migrant worker from West Bengal was lynched to death in Odisha’s Sambalpur after he was allegedly mistaken for a Bangladeshi, triggering outrage and political reactions. The victim has been identified as Juyel Rana, also known as Jewel Sheikh, a 19-year-old construction worker from Murshidabad district who had been living in Sambalpur for work.
According to the family, Juyel had moved to Odisha around three years ago in search of livelihood and worked as a mason at a construction site. On the night of December 24, a group of five to six men allegedly entered the room where he lived with other migrant workers and began questioning them about their identity. Before he could show any documents, the attackers started beating him with rods and bamboo sticks.
“My son had eaten dinner and was resting in his room when goons hit him on the head. He fell unconscious and died on the way to the hospital,” his mother Najima Biwi told The Week, breaking down. “The people who killed my son must be punished. I am seeking help and justice.”
His uncle Anwar Sheikh said the attack was sudden and brutal. “Last night, after dinner, five or six people entered the room and beat them badly. They killed my nephew. Two other workers are still admitted to the hospital. I appeal to the authorities to arrest those responsible,” he said.
Another relative, Paltu Sheikh, who worked at the same construction site, said the attackers demanded identity proof and accused the workers of being Bangladeshis. “They forced them to prove they were Indians. Without listening, they started hitting them. When we reached there to help, the attackers had already fled,” he told The Wire, adding that Juyel had likely died before reaching the hospital.
Two other migrant workers who were attacked along with Juyel sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Sambalpur.
Police sources have claimed that the incident may have started after a minor altercation, while senior police officials said it was a case of sudden provocation and not targeted violence. However, family members and migrant worker groups have strongly rejected this claim.
Reacting to the killing, the Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of creating an atmosphere of fear and hatred against Bengali-speaking migrants. TMC MLA Emami Biswas said, “Six people have already been arrested. Action will be taken against them. We are standing with the family and making arrangements to send the body home after the post-mortem.”
Samirul Islam, TMC MP and chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Labourer Welfare Board, said the killing was a direct result of long-standing hostility against Bengali migrants. “For years, Bengali-speaking people have been branded as outsiders and infiltrators. This poisonous narrative has now turned into mob violence,” he said.
Asif Faruk from the Parijayi Sramik Aikya Manch said there has been a sharp rise in attacks on migrant workers in recent weeks. “This violence started after the Pahalgam attack and was followed by government actions that targeted migrants. Now we are seeing killings. The notification that fuels this fear must be withdrawn immediately,” he said.
The killing in Sambalpur is the second such incident in a week. Earlier, a migrant worker from Chhattisgarh was lynched in Kerala after being accused of theft and being called a Bangladeshi.
Meanwhile, police in Sambalpur have said an investigation is underway, but no further arrests have been confirmed so far. The incident has left Juyel’s village in Murshidabad in deep shock and grief, with family members demanding justice and protection for migrant workers across the country.
