Migrant worker from Beldanga ‘died by suicide’ in Jharkhand, says West Bengal Police

Migrant worker Alauddin Sheikh whose unnatural death in Jharkhand last week had triggered violent protests in West Bengal’s Beldanga had “died by suicide”. The post-mortem report of the deceased migrant worker as well as investigation by Murshidabad police had ruled out murder or any foul play.

No murder conspiracy

After the death, a sub-inspector of Murshidabad police went to Palamau, Jharkhand, to inquire into the death of Sheikh. “Statements of 8-10 Bengali migrant labourers residing in the area were also recorded. However, they did not point out any conspiracy of murder,” the Murshidabad district police said in a statement on Saturday (January 24, 2026).

The police also added that it recorded the statement of Kasim Shaikh, who had brought down the body from the ceiling fan in Jharkhand. He also did not make a statement indicating murder or foul play. The post-mortem report also added that the cause of death was “ante-mortem hanging. No antemortem injuries. No abrasions, bruises, fractures or signs of assault”.

Violence erupted at Beldanga in Murshidabad district on January 16 over the death of the 30-year-old migrant worker. A large number of people took to the streets by blocking railway tracks and the national highway for several hours.

The Trinamool Congress leadership had described the death as targeting of migrant workers in other States. Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had reached out to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanta Soren over the death and urged him to ensure swift investigation in the case.

Political fight

Meanwhile, the developments over the unnatural death of Sheikh triggered a political war of words, with the BJP saying that the violence in Beldanga was pre-planned. “The latest riots in Murshidabad’s Beldanga were not spontaneous. They were politically convenient. The real question is not just what happened, but who benefitted and why the Mamata Banerjee administration chose to look the other way while a border-sensitive region burned,” BJP leader Amit Malviya posted on social media.

While the BJP claimed that the riots were not spontaneous, suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir said that the administration should have said that the death was suicide on January 16 and not a week later. “In whose interest is the administration failing the people,” the MLA said.

The father of the deceased migrant worker also refused to accept that his son had died of suicide and claimed that there were injuries on the body.

Attacks on migrant workers from West Bengal in other parts of the country, particularly in BJP-ruled States, have evoked strong response from the Trinamool Congress over the past few months. The Trinamool has likened the incidents to attacks on Bengali identity and language.

(Those in distress may contact Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention helpline: 011-40769002)