College student thrashed in Thane for not speaking Marathi, dies by suicide

A 19-year-old college student from Thane allegedly died by suicide after he was reportedly assaulted during an argument linked to the ongoing Hindi–Marathi language row. The student, identified as Tarun, was allegedly beaten on a local train following a dispute over the language he was speaking, according to early accounts.

BJP leader Raj Purohit condemned the incident, calling it one of the most disturbing cases to emerge from Maharashtra’s simmering language tensions. “I don’t think there can be a worse incident than this. Tarun, a 19-year-old Marathi boy, was beaten brutally on a train, apparently over speaking Hindi," he said.

Purohit added that the case highlights how linguistic hostility has escalated beyond traditional divides. “We often hear about attacks on Hindi speakers, but now even Marathis are not spared," he said, urging the police to immediately act. He suggested that Tarun may have informed someone about the assault before taking his life, and said the police should register a suo motu FIR based on that information.