Police in Lakshipur village on Tuesday. (Surajit Roy)

Malda, May 6: A criminal was lynched soon after he hacked a woman to death at Lakshmipur village last evening.

Malda superintendent of police Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said Sukesh Madhu (35) was a notorious criminal of the area. Janka Gharami was murdered for reporting to the village elders that Sukesh, who had been driven out of the area, was frequently visiting his family.

A month ago, after the people had complained that Sukesh was misbehaving with young women, a salisi meeting was convened. He was asked to leave the village.

The police said Janka lived close to Sukesh’s house and that is why she got to know about his movements.

The woman, who went to a mango orchard to collect the fallen fruits after a storm last night, was hacked to death by Sukesh. After the murder, the criminal, who was found lurking around, was caught and beaten to death by the villagers.

The Englishbazar police said all men in the village had fled after the lynching.

Parricide

A mentally-retarded youth hacked to death his parents before trying to kill himself last night at Arughotay near Lodhama, 70km from Darjeeling.

Sadhav Rai (32) picked up an axe lying on the floor of his house and hit his father Prem Bahadur Rai around 9pm yesterday. Dil Maya, who intervened to save the husband, was also attacked. Sadhav then made an attempt on his own life by hitting on the head with the tool.

While Rai died on the spot, Maya breathed her last at Darjeeling District Hospital around 3.30am today. The doctors said Sadhav is in a critical condition. The woman was taken to the hospital by the couple’s another son, Bimal Kumar Rai, who lives nearby, with the help of neighbours.

Police officers, who visited the village, said there was apparently no motive behind the murder.

“We have learnt that the assailant had at times showed signs of mental instability,” said Kumar Sinha, the officer-in-charge of Lodhama police station.