Mayhem broke out at a shalishi sabha at Jatrandanga area in Malda on Tuesday night, where a minor was shot at and two other persons sustained knife injuries.

Sources said a shalishi sabha was called over an alleged sexual misconduct incident committed by one Rashidul Rahman, 34, a son of a ration dealer of the area.

The proceedings started at 10pm on Tuesday night.

“As the shalishi declared Rahaman guilty and asked his head to be tonsured, the accused and his brother protested the judgment and went on a rampage,” the source said.

Rashidul and his brother Rumel started firing indiscriminately with country-made firearms and attacked those present with sharp weapons, villagers alleged. Two of their brothers also joined in.

One Naim Ali, 12, sustained a bullet injury on his left thigh. He was immediately rushed to the Malda Medical College and Hospital. Duli Ali, 34, and Soyel Ali, 20, were injured by sharp weapons and were hospitalised too.

Police rushed to the spot but the accused — Rashidul and his brothers — had by then fled from the spot.

According to sources, the shalishi sabha was convened when a daily wage earner of the locality alleged that in his absence Rashidul had on August 1 made an indecent proposal to his wife.

“The wife told her husband when he returned home two days later on August 3. The same day the daily wage earner brought the to the notice of the local residents and the shalishi sabha was fixed for August 9,” a local said.

Although convening a shalishi sabha is illegal, it is often reported in rural areas.

Sources said the accused and the complainant were present at the shalishi sabha.

“Rashidul and his brother turned violent after the shalishi sabha found him guilty and punished him with tonsuring. He started attacking and firing at people along with his brother. All were scared and started running. A bullet pierced the thigh of the boy and two others were injured by a knife,” a villager said.

A written complaint was lodged with the police on Wednesday. Police sources said that the accused were absconding.

“Those injured are reportedly stable now. Rashidul Ali and his brothers fled from the spot. We are trying to arrest them. Few persons have been called for questioning. A police picket has been posted at the locality. The situation is now under control,” said Pradeep Kumar Yadav, superintendent of police, Malda.

Many untoward incidents surrounding shalishi sabhas have been reported in the past from Malda. A 19-year old boy committed suicide in Manikchak after he was allegedly forced to marry a girl he allegedly had an affair by a shalishi sabha in July, 2021. In 2016, a Trinamul worker who had returned home to a village in Bamungola with the help of police after being hounded out by alleged CPM toughs had his nose hacked to the bone at a shalishi sabha.

In the same year a college student was today found hanging from the ceiling of her home in Malda, days after she had been allegedly insulted at a kangaroo court for having a relationship with village youth.

In 2014 all fingers of a Congress gram panchayat member’s left hand were chopped off during a scuffle at a kangaroo court.

Even though members of civil society are seeking an end to kangaroo courts it has not yet been stemmed.

Malda deaths

Sariff Sheikh, 27, died after a group of people beat him and his brother Wasim Akram, 14, at Baishnabnagar area in Malda.

Sources said that the brothers had gone to a canal to plant jute plants on Wednesday when the duo were attacked with sticks by a group. Police suspect an old rivalry between the groups. While Sheikh died, Akram was admitted to Malda medical college.

In another incident father son duo of Tahir Sheikh, 64 and Barat Sheikh, 40, both died when their two-wheeler was hit by a pick-up van at Manikchak in Malda on Wednesday evening.