2 Bengal workers ‘killed’ in Mizoram, kin demand probe
Times of India | 8 April 2026
Keshpur: Two youths from Keshpur in West Midnapore, who had travelled to the northeast for work, have allegedly been murdered, with their families urging authorities to bring back their bodies from Mizoram.
The deceased — 24-year-old Arfik Rahman Khan and 29-year-old Jahangir Mirza, residents of Charka village — were part of a six-member group that left in Feb to sell blankets, mattresses, bedsheets and curtains. Though primarily based in Assam, their work frequently took them into Mizoram and towards the Myanmar border.
Family members said they last spoke to the duo on March 16, after which all communication ceased.
The alleged murders came to light through social media. Arfik's brother, Nasim, said that while searching regional platforms, the family came across disturbing images and videos on April 4 suggesting the two had been killed and buried. The vehicle they had taken from West Midnapore was also identified in the footage. It is further alleged that their driver, a resident of Assam, was killed.
The families suspect the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Champhai police station in Mizoram.
"We have been in a state of constant anxiety since mid-March," said Nasim. "After seeing the evidence of this brutal act on social media, we filed a missing person's report at Keshpur police station on April 5. Now, our only prayer is for the administration to help us retrieve their bodies so we can perform their last rites in our village."
On Tuesday, grieving relatives and villagers met the West Midnapore district administration, seeking urgent intervention and a high-level probe into the double murder. Police in Keshpur, who had earlier received a verbal complaint in March, have now registered a formal case.