Malda, June 28: A 13-year-old boy was allegedly abducted and beaten to death yesterday in a turf war between two gangs led by expelled Trinamul leaders in Kaliachak, prompting around 4,000 people to disrupt traffic on NH34 and attack a police team that had gone to lift the blockade.

Sajir Momin, a student of Class VI of Dariapur High School, is the son of Ibrahim Sheikh, who the police said was a follower of a gang led by Zakir Sheikh.

Ibrahim alleged that the boy had been killed by goons sent by Bakul Shiekh, who headed another gang.

The police said Sajir had been playing with his friends in front of his house at Bhagalpur, 15km from here, around 6pm yesterday.

"Some men came on four-five motorbikes and took Sajir away. Villagers who had witnessed the abduction said the kidnappers were members of Bakul's gang," said a source at Kaliachak police station.

The police said just after midnight yesterday, Sajir's body had been found barely 500 metres from his house lying close to a primary school.

"The boy seemed to have been mercilessly beaten with lathis, which caused his death. There were no bleeding injuries on the body," the police source said.

The body was sent to Malda Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.

Bakul was the Kaliachak anchal president of Trinamul and had been expelled from the party last year for having links with criminal elements. Zakir was an ordinary member of Trinamul and he, too, was ousted in 2015.

"Both Bakul and Zakir have been locked in a turf war for long. They want to control the local Jadupur Nowda gram panchayat run by Trinamul and run extortion rackets. Bakul's men had probably tried to target Ibrahim, a sidekick of Zakir. As Ibrahim was not at home, the gang kidnapped his son," said the police source.

On December 6, 2015, Bakul's 14-year-old son was shot at and injured by criminals allegedly allegiant to Zakir.

Infuriated by Sajir's murder, over 4,000 people, including women, gathered at the Bhagalpur bus stand on NH34 and set up a blockade around 7 this morning.

"The mob hurled stones at a van that went to the spot with four policemen and two civic police volunteers. The windshield of the van was shattered. Two assistant sub-inspectors, Mukleswar Rehman and Abhisek Talukdar, and constable Anup Mondol were hit on the head with stones when they got off the vehicle and tried to convince the mob to lift the blockade," said the source.

In the mayhem, the policemen dropped their rifles but managed to retrieve them and flee from the spot. Later, the reinforcements comprising members of the combat force and Rapid Action Force arrived and brought the situation under control.

The protesters lifted the blockade around 10am when additional police superintendent told them that seven persons had been detained in connection with the boy's murder.

Ibrahim, who is a labour supplier and land broker, said he had filed an FIR naming Bakul and others for killing his son.

"For several months, Bakul and his associates have been trying to kill me. Yesterday, they did not find me at home and abducted my son and killed him. I have filed an FIR at Kaliachak police station naming Bakul, Ajmal Sheikh, Saddam Sheikh and Tarzan Sheikh for murdering my son," said Ibrahim.

He said Bakul wanted to control the Jadupur Nowda panchayat even after being expelled from Trinamul. "The panchayat is run by Trinamul with Bakul's sister-in-law, Farhana Bibi, as the pradhan. All 19 members belong to Trinamul and a majority of them owe allegiance to Bakul. Some other members are followers of Zakir and moved a no-confidence motion against the pradhan on June 5. Since then, Bakul and his men have been after those who are in Zakir's camp," Ibrahim said.

Malda police superintendent, Prasun Banerjee, said seven persons had been detained in connection with the murder. "Those named in the FIR, including Bakul Sheikh, are absconding. We are searching for them. Three policemen were injured when they tried to lift a blockade on NH34 and their vehicle was damaged. We have set up a police picket in the area," Banerjee said.