A 35-year-old fuchka (pani puri) vendor was hacked to death allegedly by two youths following an argument in Panchanandapur in the Mothabari police station area of Malda on Wednesday night.
The deceased, Raijul Hossain, is a resident of the locality. Rakib Sheikh, the main accused, has been arrested. Police are still searching for the other accused, Alkas
Sheikh.
The police said Raijul was selling fuchka by a road in Colony-II village of Panchanandapur when Rakib and Alkas passed him on a motorcycle.
The bike reportedly splashed some stagnant water on the road onto the
vendor’s cart.
Raijul protested, leading to a heated verbal altercation between the three.
After some time, the duo left.
The two allegedly returned around 9.30pm when Raijul was packing up for the day.
They tore the tarpaulin covering his cart, triggering another argument.
Rakib took out a sharp sickle and repeatedly hacked at Raijul, inflicting fatal
injuries.
The pair then fled the spot.
Residents rushed the vendor to a rural hospital in Bangitola, where doctors pronounced him dead.
A police team inspected the crime scene and the body was sent to Malda Medical College & Hospital for post-mortem.
The police have registered a murder case.
Store fire
A fire broke out in a garment store on the ground floor of a Lindsay Street building in Calcutta around 3.20pm on Thursday.
A police source said two fire tenders doused the flames by 4pm.
The police said no casualties were reported.