KOLKATA: Two persons were killed and two others injured after mobs allegedly attacked people suspected of cattle smuggling in the Matigara-Bagdogra area near Siliguri in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Saturday.
Locals claimed cattle had been smuggled in trucks through the Naxalbari, Bagdogra and Matigara areas near Siliguri over the past few days.
On Friday midnight, a pickup van and a car entered the Tarabari area, prompting local residents to surround the vehicles. The mob allegedly beat up the people inside, including two drivers and three others.
The pickup van was allegedly set on fire and its driver, Sahid Akhtar, was severely beaten. He was also allegedly hit on the head with a stone. Akhtar, a resident of Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur, died on the spot.
Four other persons travelling in the car fled the spot, leaving the vehicle behind. They were allegedly attacked by another mob after reaching the Dhimal slum area.
Police rescued three of them and rushed them to North Bengal Medical College Hospital in critical condition. The fourth person managed to flee. All four were residents of Haryana.
One of the injured, Shad Mohammad, later died at the government teaching hospital.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Anirban Majumder told the media, “The incident started at Tarabari in Matigara area and then it spread to Bagdogra and Panighata police station areas. One died at Tarabari while other, who was undergoing treatment at the hospital succumbed to injuries. Police have started an investigation and exploring the exact reasons behind the incident.”