Two Hindu men found dead during Muharram event in Khejuri, West bengal
Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, India 
10 July, 2025
Case Summary
In Bhanganmari, Khejuri, Purba Medinipur, two Hindu men died during the Muharram event, sparking sharp political controversy and local unrest. The deceased, Sujit Das, aged 23, and Sudhir Chandra Paik, aged 65, had attended the event. The police stated that a lightpost halogen fixture collapsed, fatally striking them. Officers at Khejuri Police Station stated that preliminary examination revealed no stab wounds, blunt‑force injuries, or other indications of assault. A post‑mortem was ordered by police to establish the precise cause of death. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) disputed the police account, stating that the men were murdered by seven local residents, naming Garirul Islam, identified as a Trinamool Congress functionary, among those responsible. In a social‑media statement, Adhikari stated the victims bore suspicious injury marks inconsistent with an accidental fall of lighting equipment. He accused West Bengal’s ruling party of shielding culprits to protect its vote bank and announced a Khejuri bandh on 14 July, demanding arrests and a thorough independent inquiry. As of the date of writing this report, all seven individuals named by Adhikari were reported absent from their homes.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The deaths of Sujit Das and Sudhir Chandra Paik during a Muharram event in Bhanganmari, Khejuri, remain in the Undecided database, as their classification as a religious hate crime is not yet definitively established. While a BJP leader has reported that Muslims killed the youths during the event, this claim alone is insufficient for immediate inclusion in the tracker, as it comes from a political figure and not directly from the victims' families, whose statements would carry more weight in such an assessment. This incident, however, does not occur in a vacuum. There is a concerning, recurring pattern of violence coinciding with Islamic religious processions, particularly during Muharram, where Hindu individuals and their spaces have frequently faced mob aggression, intimidation, and deliberate attacks across various states. This consistent pattern raises serious questions about potential religious motivations behind such acts. Only the death of Hindus at a place where Muslims were present as well fuels suspicion that this was not a random act, but possibly an act of communal assertion or ideological hostility. Despite these troubling observations, a definitive classification as a religious hate crime remains premature. This is due to the current lack of confirmed details regarding the cause of death and the absence of direct evidence unequivocally establishing a communal motive. Therefore, the case will remain in the 'Undecided' category for now. Should new information emerge, specifically confirming that they were targeted due to their religious identity, the case will be reclassified accordingly.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
2
Gender
- Male 2
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 1
- General 1
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 2
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
