india

Updated: Apr 12, 2019 14:06 IST

A man and her daughter were hacked to death by a family member after a dispute over a small piece of land in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Thursday night, police said.

The incident took place in Balarampur-Hossainpara village under Bhagabangola police station, about 227 km from state capital Kolkata.

“We have received a complaint of murder against four persons, but all the accused persons are on the run. Raids are continuing to nab them,” officer-in-charge of Bhagabangola police station Utpal Das said.

Farman Sheikh, 50, was killed by his elder brother Jeker Ali with a sickle when he went to his house to get the documents for the land. When Farman Sheikh’s 20-year-old daughter Shakila Bibi rushed to the rescue of her father, she also was murdered.

Farman’s wife Tuluara Bibi and their mentally-challenged son Halim Sheikh were also attacked. They have been admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital with serious injuries.

According to a relative of the victims, the land over which the father and daughter were killed measured about 2,880 sq ft on which vegetables were cultivated. However, Das could not specify the size of the plot under dispute and said he was yet to see the title deed that was in the possession of the accused.

“Jeker illegally retained control over a plot of land of Farman Sheikh, who used to request his brother to hand over possession to him. But his plea fell on deaf ears,” Farman Sheikh’s sister-in-law Parula Bewa said.

Parula said a quarrel began when Farman went to his elder brother’s house to fetch the land title deed. “Suddenly Jeker Ali, his wife Anguara Bibi and their son Manirul Sheikh pounced upon Farman with sickle and clubs. Sheikh died on the spot,” Parula claimed.

When Shakila Bibi came to know that her father was attacked, she rushed to her uncle’s house. But her uncle and his family members killed Shakila as well, said Parula.

“After she was told that her husband and daughter were murdered, Farman’s wife Tuluara Bibi rushed to the spot with her son Halim Sheikh. But Jeker Ali and his family attacked them too,” alleged Parula.