Two broad daylight murders in less than 24 hours in West Burdwan’s Asansol industrial belt have triggered questions on law and order in the area ahead of the February 12 civic polls.

The twin murders in West Burdwan’s Hirapur and Kulti within a distance of 15km has sent a shock-wave among residents in the area.

Faisal Imam, 55, was repeatedly stabbed to death by his neighbour in Hirapur on Tuesday after he reportedly protested his addiction. The incident occurred in full view of the pedestrians.

Within 24 hours of Faisal’s murder, a tribal man Paresh Marandi, 50, was shot dead by unknown assailants inside a shanty while sipping a cup of tea in Kulti’s Shitalheri area.

Sources said Paresh, who was a coal miner at ECL but lost his job a few years ago because of some “misconducts”, used to stay in neighbouring Parbeliya in Purulia after abandoning his wife in Kulti.

“He often visited Kulti to meet his wife and come to this shanty from where tea and snacks are sold. He was sitting alone today when some of us sitting at a distance heard gunshots. We rushed to the spot and saw one person running away and Paresh was lying in a pool of blood,” said the source.

Local people called the police. They also blocked the local road demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and protesting the “poor” law and order situation in the area.

Police said that Paresh was shot at his temple and died instantly. “We have sent the body for postmortem and have started a murder case. Our investigations are on,” said Abhishek Modi, deputy commissioner of police (west).

Police said they are probing angles of personal rivalry and involvement of local moneylenders.

In Hirapur witnesses said that Mohammad Ali aka Sonu, 30, suddenly attacked Faisal with a dagger near their home at Rahmatnagar around 10am on Tuesday.

“He repeatedly started stabbing Faisal with the dagger. As we proceed to rescue Faisal Sonu threatened of dire consequences,” said Ahamedulla Khan a local resident.

Sonu repeatedly stabbed Faisal till he slumped to the ground. He later stopped a scooterist passing by the road, forcibly took away his two-wheeler and then sped away.

Local people had informed the police who reached the spot and rushed severely injured and bleeding Faisal to hospital. However, doctors at the hospital declared him dead on arrival.

Sonu later surrendered at the local police station and police said that he had confessed to his crime.

“Police reached the spot soon after receiving information that a person was attacked by another man. Meanwhile we reached the spot the assailant fled. We rushed the injured to hospital where he died,” said Abhishek Modi, deputy commissioner of police (west).

Sources said that Sonu used to take drugs, alcohol and also was addicted to cannabis. “Faisal was known as an honest and helpful man in our locality. He tried to rectify Sonu and stop him from his addictions. He protested his addictions and that might have developed an enmity between them,” said a local resident.

Police said they have beefed up patrolling in the areas after the twin murders.