"We will solve in 50 days": Abhishek dares Maha Govt to solve migrant worker's murder case or hand it over

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee challenged the Maharashtra government over the murder of Sukhen Mahato, a migrant worker from West Bengal’s Purulia district, saying that if they are unable to solve the case, it should be handed over to West Bengal authorities. “If they are unable to solve it, they should transfer the case to us. We will resolve the matter within 50 days,” he said, escalating the political confrontation surrounding the killing.

Mahato was found dead in the Koregaon Bhima area under Shikarpur police station limits in Pune on Wednesday afternoon. Employed at an auto parts manufacturing unit since 2021, he had been scheduled to report for his 3 pm shift on Tuesday. His body was discovered around 500 metres from his workplace and later sent for postmortem. Police said a murder complaint has been lodged and all angles are being investigated, with no arrests made till late Wednesday night.

Family members alleged that Mahato was beaten to death and claimed he may have been targeted for being Bengali, though police have not confirmed this angle. The deceased was the sole earning member of his family, and his body is expected to take nearly 36 hours and cost around ₹70,000 to be transported to Purulia. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the killing as “nothing short of a hate crime,” demanding swift arrests and exemplary punishment.