A 12-year-old girl was shot dead during an armed attack over a land dispute in Islampur subdivision, North Dinajpur district, on Saturday night.
Police arrested four persons and set up a police picket in the area to prevent further unrest.
According to a police source, armed goons attacked the house of Md Zahid Alam of Jhaljhali village under the Matikunda gram panchayat in Islampur around 9pm on Saturday over a "long-standing land dispute".
“The attackers hurled bombs at the house and assaulted family members with sharp weapons. They also shot a 12-year-old girl, who was asleep, at point-blank range. She died on the spot,” a police officer said.
The girl was Zahid's daughter.
Two other members of the family were injured. They are being treated at the Islampur subdivisional hospital, some 8km from their village.
Residents said the clash was between Zahid and his neighbour Noor Alam. On Saturday, Noor allegedly led a group of goons to Zahid’s house. Zahid fled through the back door and hid in a bamboo grove.
“I asked my family members to lock themselves in and managed to escape through the back door,” Zahid said. “I could hear my family screaming and the sound of bombs and bullets.”
After the attackers left, Zahid returned to find his daughter with gunshot wounds and two other family members injured. “I have lodged a written complaint and want the culprits to get the strictest punishment,” he said.
Doctors at the Islampur hospital declared the girl dead.
A mob vandalised the house of one of the accused. Four persons were arrested and search is on for others.
Trinamool Congress district president Kanyalal Agarwal said: “It is shocking that a child was shot dead over a land dispute."