Punjab village panchayats ban migrants after child rape-murder; know details
A tragic case in Hoshiarpur, Punjab has shaken the state—a five-year-old boy was abducted, raped, and murdered on September 9, 2025.
The accused, Nanke Yadav (also reported as Manke Yadav in some sources), a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh, was arrested after CCTV footage showed him picking up the child.
In the aftermath, about 40 village panchayats in Hoshiarpur and nearby districts have banned migrants without valid local documents from staying in their villages, and some have barred them from accessing government schemes.
CM Mann urges against targeting all migrants
The crime led to grief and outrage across Punjab as videos of the boy's mourning family spread online.
Clashes have broken out between locals and migrants over new panchayat rules. Police are holding flag marches to keep peace.
While Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the crime and promised strict action against the accused, he urged against targeting all migrants, stating, "So many of our Punjabis are working in other places in India. What if tomorrow they are asked to leave?"
Opposition leaders want stricter laws limiting migrants' rights for safety reasons, but experts warn such moves could harm social harmony and are likely unconstitutional.