West Bengal: Man hacked to death by gang

Kolkata: An aged man was hacked to death by a gang of dacoits at Balagarh in Hooghly early on Sunday. His wife also suffered injuries in the hand. The gang stormed the house of the Banerjees at Behula area after breaking open the lock of the main entrance. 

The gang, their faces covered in black, first tried to kill Sudip Banerjee, elder brother of Sujit by throtling him with a towel. But his screams alerted other members of the family. When Sujit tried to resist them, he came under attack of the dacoits, who chopped him with sharp daggers, preliminary investigation revealed. Sujit’s wife Jharna had jumped to rescue her husband when she was also attacked and lost a finger. 

Ms Banerjee was later admitted to Imambara Hospital in Chinsurah, where her husband was declared brought dead. She alleged, “The dacoits barged into our home. When they faced resistance, they killed my husband.” Sujit’s body was sent for post-mortem. 

A police team later inspected the house. An initial probe indicated that the dacoits might have struck at the house to kill a particular family member on the pretext of looting. The amount of valuables stolen is not clear. A case on the charge murder has been initiated by the police. A property-related dispute has come under the scanner of the investigators.