A tragic incident from Kalyan has sparked concern after an 18-year-old college student died by suicide following an alleged assault over a Hindi–Marathi language argument in a Mumbai local train. The deceased, identified as Arnav Khaire, lived in Tisgaon Naka, Kalyan East.
According to police, Arnav was travelling to his college in Mulund when he accidentally bumped into another commuter. The minor altercation quickly turned into a heated exchange over language. During the argument, a group of four to five passengers allegedly thrashed him for not speaking Marathi.
Arnav’s father, Jitendra Khaire, said his son narrated the incident to him in fear after returning home. “He told a fellow passenger, a Hindi-speaking boy, to move forward because the train was jerking too much. Suddenly, another man slapped him and asked why he wasn’t speaking Marathi and whether he felt ashamed to do so,” he said.
The family said Arnav was supposed to get down at Mulund but chose to alight at Thane to avoid further confrontation. The shock and humiliation, they claim, left him mentally distressed. Later at home, Arnav allegedly hanged himself.
The Kolshewadi Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and begun a probe. Officers said they are examining CCTV footage, statements of fellow passengers and the sequence of events that led to the suicide.
Jitendra Khaire appealed for calm, saying such incidents should never happen again. “We lost our son. No student should suffer harassment over language. Arguments like these have no place in society,” he said.
Police said further action will be taken once the investigation establishes the circumstances surrounding the assault and the student’s death.
