In a tragic incident, a 19-year-old student reportedly took his own life in Maharashtra’s Thane district after he was attacked by a group of people in a local train following an argument over not speaking. marathi languagepolice said Thursday.
Arnav Laxman Khaire, a first-year science student, was found hanging in his apartment in Kalyan East on Tuesday evening, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Kalyanji Gete.
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“Arnav was traveling to his college in Mulund on Tuesday morning by a local train when the attack took place between Kalyan and Thane stations,” he said.
Gete reported that the teenager’s father, Jeetendra Khaire, claimed that Arnav asked a fellow passenger in Hindi to move a little further into the overcrowded carriage. The passenger then scolded him for not making an appointment Marathi languageand the dispute subsequently escalated.
“The passengers, along with their five companions, then brutally assaulted Arnav and pelted him with fists. Overcome with fear and nausea from the beating, Arnav got off at Thane station and took another train to Mulund,” the official said.
Arnav returned home early without attending all his college lectures and called his father to inform him about the attack, Gete said.
“Arnav informed his father about the incident on his mobile phone and the father could sense fear and tension in his voice. When he returned home from work later in the evening, he found the door locked. He broke open the door with the help of neighbors and found his son hanging with a blanket around his neck,” the official said.
The teenager’s father has filed a formal complaint, claiming his son killed himself as a result of the mental anguish caused by the attack, Gete added.
A case of accidental death has been registered and a police investigation is now underway.
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Controversy over the use of Hindi and Marathi has erupted in Maharashtra, particularly in the Mumbai metropolitan area. This follows opposition parties, notably the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), questioning the state government over its trilingual education policy in schools and the teaching of Hindi from Class 1 onwards.
The situation worsened after cases of verbal and physical assaults, vandalism and public intimidation allegedly carried out by MNS workers were reported in various parts of the state, drawing widespread condemnation and legal scrutiny.
In August, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said there was no fundamental rift between the Marathi-speaking and Hindi-speaking communities and issued a warning against those trying to incite tension.
“I would like to advise Nishikant Dubey (BJP MP) not to get involved in this controversy because some people deliberately want to discuss this controversy and his speech gives them strength for the controversy. There is no such controversy between Marathas and non-Marathas in Maharashtra,” said CM Fadnavis.
