Malda, June 27: A schoolboy from a Baishnabnagar village, who was hacked with a chopper when he went to the rescue of his uncle who had been attacked by labour suppliers yesterday, died in the district hospital here this morning.

Rakesh Sinha, the victim, had taken admission to Class XI at the Kumbhira High School this year after passing the Madhyamik examination.

Police said former Congress gram panchayat pradhan of Kumbhira, Nikhil Sinha, and his brother Pankaj were labour suppliers who had given Rs 2,300 to Rakesh’s uncle Netai Sinha to get hold of labourers.

With Netai allegedly not keeping his part of the deal, there had been a tension between the two sides. Yesterday around 5pm, Nikhil and several men suddenly attacked Netai’s house in Niyognagar village, 50km from here. They used choppers to strike at Netai’s father Haripada, his brother Adhir and a relative, Jhantu.

Rakesh, who lived next door, along with his father Jiten rushed to the aid of his uncle. They, too, were attacked. Villagers told the police that Nikhil and his gang carried out the attack behind closed doors and after about 30 minutes fled the scene.

The villagers called the police and admitted the injured to the Kumbhira health centre from where Rakesh who suffered deep wounds on his head and body was referred to the district hospital here where he died this morning.

Around 10am today, a large force led by deputy police superintendent, Saikat Ghosh, visited the village.

Former CPM MLA Biswanath Ghosh alleged that since the attack was carried out by a former Congress pradhan, police got time to visit the spot only this morning. “The role of the police is questionable, they arrived at the spot only today and have not arrested a single person till now,” he said.

Malda Congress president Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury said the incident should be condemned. “An innocent school student was brutally killed. Let the police arrest the guilty, the Congress will never interfere with their job,” the Malda South MP said.

Additional superintendent of police Kalyan Banerjee said an uncle of the deceased had filed an FIR naming 16 persons. “We are carrying out raids in the Baishnabnagar area. The killing was the result of an advance paid by a labour supplier to the victim’s uncle.”