A person was fatally shot and another got injured as goons fired at them while trying to loot a bag of cash from them in Malda on Thursday.

Police sources said Chinmoy Barui, 47, the deceased, and Prasenjit Mudi, 29, who got injured, are employees of liquor shop owner Ashok Biswas. Biswas's foreign liquor shop is located in Alal area of Gazole.

Barui was from Haridaspara, a locality under Gazole police station. Mudi is also from the same place.

Around 8.30pm, after closing the liquor shop, the duo were on their way to Biswas’ house in a two-wheeler to hand over the day's cash — around Rs 60,000 — to him.

“While we were moving through the Matol area along NH81, six masked men who were in three two-wheelers chased us. They were carrying firearms. They asked us to stop. We got scared and sped our two-wheeler which made them shoot at us,” said the injured Mudi from the bed of the nursing home where he had been admitted.

Barui was hit by a bullet and the duo fell off the two-wheeler, he said. They threw the bag away and took shelter in a house.

“Some local residents rushed to our help. Seeing them, the attackers fled but not before firing some more rounds in the air,” added Mudi, who was not hit by any bullet.

The duo were rushed to the block hospital in Gazole and later shifted to a private nursing home in Malda.

On Friday, Barui, who had got a bullet in the back, died. Mudi is under treatment and stable.

“The bag with Rs 60,000 in cash was later found,” Biswas said.

Police have visited the spot of the attack. A probe is on.