A 19-year-old college student from Kalyan, Maharashtra, has died by suicide after he was allegedly assaulted on a local train for speaking Hindi, sparking renewed concerns over rising language-based tensions in the state.
Arnav Jitendra Khaire, a first-year science student at Kelkar College in Mulund, was travelling on the Ambernath–Kalyan local train on the morning of November 18 when a minor argument escalated into violence, according to his father’s statement to police. A group of four to five men allegedly questioned him for not speaking Marathi and physically assaulted him during the confrontation, according to an India Today report.
Shaken by the incident, Arnav reportedly got off at Thane station and returned to Mulund on a different train before heading home. He later told his father that he felt anxious and was terrified by what had happened. Despite his father’s attempts to reassure him, the teenager remained visibly distressed.
When Arnav’s father returned from work in the evening, he found their home locked from the inside. With the help of neighbours, he forced the door open and discovered Arnav hanging from a dupatta. He was rushed to Rukminibai Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead at 9:05 pm.
In his police statement, Jitendra Khaire said his son’s death was driven by fear and emotional trauma caused by the assault. He has demanded a thorough investigation and accountability for those involved.
The Kolsewadi Police have registered an accidental death report and initiated an inquiry into the circumstances leading up to the tragedy. Railway Police have also been alerted, with authorities working to trace the accused and secure CCTV footage from the stations along Arnav’s route.
The incident has triggered shock and anger within the community, prompting calls for an independent probe. It has also reignited debate over language-related hostilities in Maharashtra, where similar confrontations have surfaced in recent months.
