A tragic incident of mob violence has shaken the industrial town of Sambalpur in Odisha, resulting in the death of a migrant labourer from West Bengal. The victim was brutally assaulted by local residents who wrongly identified him as an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh.
Chilling Details of the Mob Attack
The horrific event unfolded on the night of December 25, 2025. According to police reports, the victim, identified as Milon Sheikh (32), was a resident of Murshidabad district in West Bengal. He had been working in Sambalpur as a daily wage labourer. A group of locals from the Badapadia area confronted him, accusing him of being a Bangladeshi national.
Despite his pleas and attempts to show his identity documents, the mob did not relent. Eyewitness accounts suggest the attack was swift and brutal. The assailants used sticks and other blunt objects, leading to severe injuries. Milon Sheikh was rushed to the VIMSAR hospital in Burla, but succumbed to his injuries on the morning of December 26.
Police Investigation and Community Tensions
The local police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation into the lynching. Sambalpur Superintendent of Police, Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo, confirmed that the incident is being treated as a murder. Several teams have been formed to identify and apprehend the perpetrators involved in the mob violence.
Preliminary inquiries by the police suggest that the attack was triggered by suspicion and misinformation regarding the victim's origin. The incident has exposed underlying tensions and highlights the dangers of vigilante justice based on unchecked assumptions. Authorities are now working to prevent any further escalation of communal or regional sentiment in the area.
Aftermath and Calls for Justice
The killing has sent shockwaves through the migrant labour community in Odisha's industrial belts. Many workers from West Bengal and other states now fear for their safety. Community leaders have called for a thorough probe and stringent action against those responsible to ensure such a tragedy is not repeated.
This case underscores a disturbing pattern where migrant workers are often targeted based on language, appearance, or dialect. The Odisha police have assured that the rule of law will prevail and have appealed to the public to maintain peace and not take the law into their own hands. The investigation remains active as authorities piece together the final moments leading to the fatal assault.
