Two on-duty civic volunteers were roughed up by four unidentified criminals on Wednesday night in Malda.

Sources said that the civic volunteers, Md Salam Ali and Debhashis Karmakar, were on duty in Gaziadhab area under the Mothabari police station of the district, when a gang of four goons wearing masks attacked them.

The quartet tried to snatch the cell phones and a two-wheeler of the civic volunteers. When the civic volunteers resisted, the goons beat them up. However, the attackers fled without taking anything from them. Both are under treatment at the Malda Medical College and Hospital. Police have initiated a probe.

Girls drown

Wasima Khatun, 14, and Lucymon Khatun, 13, drowned in a pond at Hazratpur under Chanchal police station of Malda on Thursday afternoon. Sources said seven girls had gone to pluck vegetable leaves from the pond when Wasima slipped into the water. Lucymon tried to rescue her but she too went underwater.

As the other girls screamed on seeing Wasima and Lucymon go under, residents rushed to help. The two girls were brought out and rushed to Chanchal super-specialty hospital where doctors declared them dead.