One person was killed in a clash between two groups over the possession of a disputed agricultural land at Chapra in Nadia district on Wednesday afternoon.
Farmer Alam Sheikh, 62, was shot dead, while his two sons, Kalu and Mahi Sheikh, were grievously injured. A rival group, allegedly led by Izar Sheikh, attacked Alam and his sons when they attempted to take possession of the land near the Jalangi river at Maheshnagar Purba Para village.
Local people took the three victims to Chapra Block Hospital, where Alam was declared dead. Kalu and Mahi were shifted to Nadia District Hospital in Krishnanagar for further treatment.
Police have initiated a suo motu murder case and arrested one person.
Additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Makwana Meetkumar Sanjaykumar said: “An investigation has commenced and all aspects of the conflict that led to the death are being examined. So far, we have arrested one person, identified as Rezaul Karim.”
According to family members and local sources, the dispute arose when Alam purchased a plot a few years ago, which was already under the possession of Izhar, a long-time cultivator and claimant of ownership.
Nargis Begum, wife of one of the injured, said: “The root of the conflict is a fraudulent land sale, which led to our family becoming victims today. My father-in-law, Alam Sheikh, bought the land years ago, but it had already been sold to another individual, who later became our adversary when we attempted to take possession.”
“The same land was sold to two different persons, which fueled the enmity and ultimately escalated into a violent confrontation,” added another relative of the victims.
On Wednesday afternoon, Alam, his two sons, and a few associates went to claim the land when they were attacked by Izhar and his men.
“They fired three rounds at my father-in-law and others and hurled multiple crude bombs. My father-in-law suffered bullet injuries and collapsed, while the two others were wounded in the explosion. Before fleeing, the attackers also assaulted them with sharp weapons,” Nargis said.
A police officer in Chapra said: “This land dispute has persisted for years with both parties refusing to relinquish their claims.”
Asked about the presence of such a large cache of arms and explosives in Chapra, Sanjaykumar said: “We have arrested one person and are investigating the source of the weapons. Some sharp weapons have been recovered from the crime scene.”
The police have launched a combing operation to seize illegal arms and apprehend other suspects.