Minor Hindu boy murdered for picking mangoes from Muslim man's orchard, amidst concerns of religious targeting
North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India 
14 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Shibadspur, Naihati, located in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, a 17-year-old Hindu boy was killed by a Muslim man named Sheikh Farhad Mandal. The accused killed the boy for picking some mangoes from his orchard. The victim, Sudipta Pandit, was a resident of Basanti Tala in Kanchrapara. Sudipta had gone to his uncle’s house in Shibadspur to attend a family function. On the day of the incident, Sudipta and his friends were returning home when they noticed mangoes lying on the ground in a nearby orchard owned by Sheikh Farhad Mandal. Sudipta entered the orchard to pick up some of the fallen fruit. At that time, the orchard’s owner, Sheikh Farhad Mandal, was present at the spot. He saw Sudipta picking mangoes and caught him and began to beat him brutally. Sudipta’s friends, frightened by the assault, fled the scene and alerted local villagers. When they returned with help, they found Sudipta lying unconscious near the orchard. He was immediately rushed to a hospital in Naihati, where doctors pronounced him dead. According to news reports, after physically assaulting Sudipta, Farhad strangled him to death. The incident sparked outrage among the villagers, and they gathered at Farhad’s mango warehouse and set it on fire. They also blocked the Kalyani Expressway and staged a protest. Following this incident, the police arrived at the scene, arrested Sheikh Farhad Mandal, and deployed a large force in the area to prevent any further unrest. Meanwhile, Barrackpore BJP leader Priyangu Pandey stated that Sudipta was killed because he was Hindu. He stated, “A 17-year-old innocent boy went to eat mangoes. He was killed because his cousin is a booth-level worker of the BJP. Sudipta Pandit’s only crime was that he was a Hindu.” Pandey further alleged that the police are unable to protect Hindus in West Bengal because their hands are tied by the ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He also said that under Mamata Banerjee's rule, Hindus are specifically targeted. He further urged the Hindu community to unite for their survival.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
While the immediate cause in the Shibadspur case appears non-religious (picking mangoes), the extreme violence inflicted raises concerns about underlying animosity the Muslim perpetrator may have held towards Hindus. Such disproportionate violence in minor disputes can often indicate deeper religious bias. Hindus are particularly vulnerable to severe crimes, including murder, by Muslim individuals, with hostility towards the Hindu community frequently being a factor. The BJP leader's claims of a Hindu identity and the BJP connection as motives cannot be disregarded. Hindus are often targeted by Muslim perpetrators due to their faith or affiliations with groups like the BJP. These violent acts are rarely isolated incidents but can stem from deep-seated religious hatred and disdain for Hindus and their advocates, revealing a significant level of animosity. However, since there are no clear indicators of religious motivation in this particular case, nor has the victim’s family pointed to such a motive, the case remains classified as ‘Undecided’ database. If further information emerges indicating that this was an instance of religiously motivated violence, the case will be reclassified accordingly in the hate crime database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 1
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
