Behrampore, June 18: Two men were dragged out of a bus and hacked to death on a highway in Murshidabad’s Raghunathgunj this morning.

After the murders, in front of around 100 people, the assailants ran through paddy fields to Fulsahari village, where the duo lived, and hurled bombs.

Those killed were identified as Socialist Party activists Golam Rasul, 55, and Jamiruddin Sheikh, 42.

At Fulsahari, one of the bombs left villager Barjar Sheikh injured. He is in hospital.

District police chief Basab Dasgupta said the dozen assailants were alleged CPM supporters. “We have received complaints saying they were CPM supporters. Police are looking for them.”

Socialist Party district secretary Tushar Chatterjee said the two were former CPM supporters who had switched loyalties three years ago.

Golam and Jamiruddin were facing trial for murders they had allegedly committed in 2000. Today, they were returning home from Raghunathgunj town after a meeting with their lawyers, said an officer of Raghunathgunj police station, about 240km from Calcutta.

The trial, pending for eight years, was to begin tomorrow.

“As the bus stopped at the busy Daspara intersection at 11am, the gang stormed into it. The two men were killed in front of at least 100 onlookers,” a police officer said.

The CPM’s Sagardighi zonal committee secretary, Paresh Das, said the murders had nothing to do with politics. “There is a long-standing feud between two groups of villagers in Fulsahari. The murders could be its fallout.”

A police officer said Golam and Jamiruddin were accused of killing two Fulsahari residents.