Cooch Behar, Sept. 24: Business took a backseat today as shopkeepers and residents alike waited with wreaths and garlands for Dipak Burman’s body to be brought to Nishiganj from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri.

Burman, who was hit when KLO militants left in a blaze of bullets after pulling off a daring abduction of a hardware merchant on Saturday, succumbed to his injuries yesterday.

Immediately after being shot, Burman, who owned a stationery shop in Nishiganj market, was rushed to Maharaja Jitendranarayan Hospital in Cooch Behar town. He was referred to NBMCH when his condition deteriorated.

The district administration has decided to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation to the families of the four persons who died in Saturday’s strike.

Subdivisional officer of Mathabhanga Amiyo Kumar Biswas told newspersons that the funds would be received from the National Disaster Assistance Project.

Tourism minister Dinesh Dakua, forest minister Jogesh Burman and CPM district secretary Chandi Pal visited the victims’ families to offer their condolences and the assured them of financial assistance.

Pal claimed that all the four persons who died in the militant attack were CPM activists.

“We visited their families today. Our local leaders have been instructed to stand by them,” Pal said.

Apart from the compensation promised by the government, the party also announced its decision to compensate the victims’ families. The drive for collecting funds for this purpose has started, Pal said.