Policemen and local residents in front of the jewellery shop that was looted on Sunday. (Biplab Basak)

Jan. 13: Four youths were injured this morning when they tried to stop a gang from looting a jewellery shop at Pradhanpara bazaar, 19km from Jalpaiguri.

“Around 3am, I woke up after hearing a heavy thud made on the shutters of a jewellery shop located next to my house. Soon, I realised that miscreants had entered the shop. To prevent them from looting the shop I tiptoed into the house of my next-door neighbour Anil Sarkar and together, we went towards the shop. As the gang saw us approaching they attacked us with sharp weapons and injured us,” said Jagatbandhu Sarkar, a local resident.

“After we were injured we started screaming for help. Soon some more people, including Nagen Mallick, the owner of the jewellery shop who resides behind the shop rushed out. It was just then that two local youths, identified as Shibnath Mondal and Chandan Sarkar both in their thirties, who were in a pick-up van carrying potatoes to the wholesale market in Siliguri, stopped and tried to intercept the robbers. The armed gang then opened fire. They also fired in the air while escaping,” added Jagatbandhu.

“As we ran to help the injured youths, the gang managed to escape. They have taken away gold and silver ornaments worth around Rs 40,000 but could not break the vault,” said Mallick, the shop owner.

The potato merchants were taken to a local health centre and later referred to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri.

Anil and Jagatbandhu were released after first aid.

The Pradhanpara market area, which is 19km from Jalpaiguri, remained closed throughout the day. Hundreds of people gathered outside the jewellery shop to protest.

Amit P. Javalgi, the superintendent of police of Jalpaiguri, said investigations had started.

“Two injured persons have been sent to NBMCH. We are investigating the case. As the locality is only 6km from Haldibari of Cooch Behar district, we might seek help from Cooch Behar police to arrest the gang,” he said.