Malda, June 5: A group of people stealing mangoes from an orchard in Rasiladaha village today attacked a 40-year-old woman who tried to stop them and a man who came to rescue the woman.

Rasiladaha village is in Sahapur gram panchayat area and 7km from Old Malda.

Police said Gita Basak had been admitted to the Malda Medical College and Hospital with head injuries and Dhiren Mondol, 45, the other injured, is undergoing treatment at the primary health centre in Moulpur.

Gita's husband Ajit Basak, 52, has filed an FIR with the Old Malda police station against three men, Sujit Karmakar, Manik Das and Sujan Karmakar.

According to police sources, Ajit was the night guard of a 32-bigha mango orchard adjacent to his home in Rasiladaha village.

"Around 8am today, Gita came out of her house to call Ajit from the orchard. But, Ajit was not there and in his absence, the three men along with at least five others, were plucking mangoes from the trees. When Gita protested, the three men attacked her with sharp weapons. Dhiren, who was the night guard in an adjacent orchard heard Gita's screams and, when he came to her rescue he, too, was attacked. When others rushed to the spot, the miscreants fled," a police source said.

"Ajit has told us that around 8am today, he had gone to a local grocery shop in the village about 200 metres from the orchard to buy puffed rice. He said he did not realise that the gang would try and steal mangoes after daybreak," the police source said.

Malda police superintendent Prasun Banerjee, said: "We are looking for the three men named in the complaint filed by Ajit. They have fled the area".