A 57-year-old was allegedly killed by his son in a dispute over a betel nut tree in Purba Salbari of Dhupguri block in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday morning.
The son fled the scene, said a source. Police are searching for him.
The deceased is Shuklal Mondal. According to his family, Shuklal and his elder son, Ramanath, were arguing over a betel nut tree. It soon escalated into a physical fight. Ramanath punched his father, and Shuklal lost consciousness.
He was rushed to the subdivisional hospital in Dhupguri in an e-rickshaw, where doctors declared him dead.
Sushanta, the younger son, was injured while trying to stop the fight. He refused to speak about the incident.
Shuklal's daughter, Promila, said the dispute stemmed from a minor disagreement over the tree. She reportedly fell ill following the tragedy.
A team from the Dhupguri police station recovered the body from the hospital and is waiting for the post-mortem report. The family has filed a complaint with the police.
