Minor girl shot dead by uncle in Islampur; Accused on run

Raiganj: A minor girl was allegedly shot dead by her uncle on Sunday night. The incident occurred at Ladukhoa village under Gobindapur Gram Panchayat in North Dinajpur district

The deceased, identified as Gulabi Khatun (15), was a Class X student of a local high school. The accused, her uncle, is currently absconding. Police have launched a manhunt to arrest him and initiated an investigation into the incident.

According to local sources, the incident is suspected to have stemmed from a family dispute. The daughter of the accused, Md Ajiz, reportedly eloped with a youth on Sunday morning. Ajiz allegedly suspected that Gulabi had helped his daughter elope. Following this, he is said to have threatened Gulabi several times during the day.

Later in the evening, when Gulabi was returning home from a nearby grocery shop, the accused allegedly intercepted her on the road and shot her in the chest from close range before fleeing the spot. Hearing the gunshot, locals rushed to the scene and immediately took the injured girl to Islampur Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Akbar Ali, elder brother of the deceased, said that Gulabi had a friendly relationship with Ajiz’s daughter and said: “After she eloped, my uncle repeatedly blamed my sister and threatened her. At night, he stopped her on the way and shot her. We want the police to arrest him soon and impose exemplary punishment on him.” Efforts are being made to arrest the accused. The exact cause and sequence of events are being probed, a senior officer of the Islampur Police District said.

The incident has raised serious concerns over law and order in the region, with locals questioning how illegal firearms are making their way in and can be used so easily. Similar past incidents in the district have also led to tension and fear among residents.

In a separate incident, locals rescued an unidentified minor girl, aged around 15, from near Mahendraganj under the Kaliyaganj police station area on Monday morning.

The girl, unable to speak clearly, has been kept in police custody. Authorities have initiated steps to ascertain her identity.