In another disturbing incident, migrant workers from northern India were brutally assaulted by a group of four men in Thiruvallur district, with CCTV footage of the attack surfacing and triggering concern.
The incident occurred at Prithivinagar near Gummidipoondi. According to local sources, a wholesale vegetable shop run by Masthan Babu and Kavitha has been operating in the area for the past year, employing a few migrant workers from northern India, who also reside at the premises.
It has been alleged that for several months, unidentified individuals have been deliberately provoking the migrant workers, hurling obscene abuse and, on some occasions, physically attacking them. In response to these repeated incidents, CCTV cameras were installed at the shop as a precautionary measure.
On the morning of the attack, four unidentified men reportedly entered the shop under the pretext of purchasing vegetables. Shortly thereafter, they allegedly abused the workers with obscene language, instigated a confrontation, and assaulted one of the migrant workers, leaving him with bleeding injuries.
The CCTV footage of the assault has since been released and has gone viral on social media, causing widespread alarm. Preliminary accounts suggest that business rivalry may have played a role in the repeated targeting of the migrant workers, though this has not yet been officially confirmed.
Residents and activists have demanded that the police swiftly identify the assailants and take strict action against them. The incident has added to growing concern over the safety of migrant workers in the region, coming close on the heels of other recent attacks reported in parts of Tamil Nadu.
Police officials said an inquiry is underway and assured that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Most Recent Instances
The attacks on migrant workers has shot up in Dravidian Model Tamil Nadu over the past one month. Here are a few instances:
Tiruttani
Tiruttani Town police on Sunday, 28 December 2025, detained four 17-year-old boys for attacking a 20-year-old youth from Odisha, identified as K Suraj, with sickles near the Old Railway Quarters. Police said the assault stemmed from a drunken argument on a Chennai–Tiruttani EMU local and was filmed by one juvenile to post as an Instagram reel. The minors allegedly carried sickles in their bags to record such videos. After following Suraj off the train at Tiruttani, they took him to an abandoned area, where three attacked him while the fourth recorded the act. Suraj, who suffered serious injuries, is stable. The juveniles were sent to an Observation Home.
Coimbatore
On Monday, 29 December 2025, a youth from Kolkata was beaten to death in Coimbatore after questioning an auto driver over a minor collision, triggering fresh outrage over attacks on migrants. The victim, Suraj, was assaulted on Sunday night near Pullu Kaadu in the Ukkadam area by an auto driver, Mohammad Bajith Khan, and his associate Prakash. Police said the argument began after the auto hit Suraj, who worked at a fast-food outlet. During the altercation, the assailants allegedly questioned his identity, place of origin, and religion before attacking him. Suraj suffered severe head injuries and died on Monday at Coimbatore Government Medical College Hospital. Both accused have been arrested, and the case has been registered as murder.
In a separate incident, a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh was stabbed at a bakery in Karumathampatti near Coimbatore on 15 December 2025, allegedly for not speaking in Tamil, an incident that came to light after CCTV footage surfaced on 31 December 2025. The victim, Govind Kond (27), was attacked after an argument with two unidentified men and is undergoing treatment. Police have registered a case and are searching for the assailants. The incident follows another attack in Tiruttani, where four juveniles assaulted an Odisha migrant worker with sickles during a drunken altercation. Investigations are ongoing in both cases.
Sivaganga
Two migrant labourers from Odisha were brutally attacked by an unidentified gang near Thirupuvanam in Sivaganga district on the night of 30 December 2025, raising fresh concerns over migrant worker safety in Tamil Nadu. The victims, Moni Sharan and Sushanth from Cuttack, were allegedly assaulted with weapons while near the Vaigai riverbank at Mannalur. Both sustained serious injuries and were first taken to a government hospital before being shifted to Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital for intensive treatment. Police have registered a case, launched an investigation, and are probing the motive behind the attack.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
