2 killed, van torched over cattle theft suspicion near Bengal’s Siliguri

In the early hours of Friday near Siliguri in West Bengal, a violent mob attacked a group suspected of cattle theft, resulting in two deaths and three injuries. The attack occurred between 2:30 am and 3 am as the mob chased four to five men who were believed to have stolen cattle in the Matigara and Bagdogra areas. The chase took them from Tarabari in Matigara to Dhimal Basti in Bagdogra, where the victims were cornered and assaulted.

The incident took a tragic turn near the Balason River in Tarabari, under the purview of the Matigara police station. A pickup van belonging to Md Shahid Akhtar, 45, a resident of Chopra in West Bengal, was allegedly intercepted and set on fire by the mob. The driver, Shahid, was dragged out of the van and beaten to death on the spot. Another victim, Shad Mohammad, 28, from Haryana, succumbed to severe injuries he sustained during the attack while receiving treatment at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

Local police rescued three injured victims and transported them to the hospital, while one person managed to escape and sought refuge at a nearby police station. The case has been filed based on a complaint from Shahid's wife, and the dead person's family confirmed that the men were allegedly involved in cattle smuggling. Police are currently investigating to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the violence.