'Deranged' youth kills sisters and niece over land dispute

BALURGHAT: A mentally retarded youth was detained by police for his alleged involvement in murdering two of his sisters and a niece over a land related dispute on Saturday afternoon.

The incident took place in Gangarampur's Chinabuzz village which is under Basuria gram panchayat. The deceased have been identified as Mehernigar Khatun (30), Gulnihar Parveen (25) and Priyanka Khatun (9). Police reached the spot and recovered the bodies and sent it for autopsy to Balurghat district hospital. The police caught the accused Babu Hussein (28) who was standing with a spade when police rushed there. On being asked, he said he had stabbed the trio to death with that spade. A investigation has been initiated.

An investigating officer said if the probe indicates that the crime was a pre-planned murder, section 120B for criminal conspiracy would be added.

A local inhabitant Saifur Rahman said there was a longstanding dispute among the brothers and sisters of the accused over a plot of land. They were involved in quarrels quite frequently over the issue.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Hussein attacked the trio with a spade following a tussle on the land and stabbed them indiscriminately to death on the spot. Local residents informed that accused was a mentally retarded person and has been undergoing treatment.

Another local Ruhul Ali Choudhury said: "Initially we were scared seeing Babu standing with a spade in his hand beside the bodies. He was shouting in anger and terrifying us. Soon the other locals gathered there but no one moved. Later we informed police to control the situation."

Inspector-in-charge of Gangarampur police station Purnendu Kundu said the victims and accused belong to the same family and preliminary investigation reveals the murder was a result of family dispute over land.

"We are trying to find out what exactly happened. We have already detained the accused in the case and the process to ascertain if more people were involved in the case is underway. A complaint in this regard has been registered at Gangarampur police station," he said.