A homemaker at a Malda village, in her early 40s, and her six-year-old daughter, were allegedly beaten up by a group of men in broad daylight over a family dispute.

Pyari Bibi and her daughter are under treatment at Malda Medical College & Hospital (MMCH). Pyari’s husband Babul Sheikh has filed a complaint with the police who are probing the case. No arrests have been made so far.

Babul, a resident of the Chandipur village under the Mothabari police station of Malda, said some goons were illegally trying to grab their residential land.

“We have even moved court and got an injunction in our favour. The hooligans disobeyed the judicial order and thrashed me on Sunday afternoon. I ended with a fractured right hand. We filed a complaint with the police. That angered them further. On Tuesday, they attacked me again. My wife and daughter were mercilessly beaten up with rods and bamboo sticks as they tried to rescue me,” Babul said.

“Some local residents came but didn’t intervene as they were scared of the attackers,” he added.

Police officers at the Mothabari police station said that the accused persons had fled the village. “We are searching for them,” said an officer.