In the early hours of October 3, 2026, two men were killed and three others injured after a group of villagers allegedly attacked them near Tarabari village in the Matigara-Bagdogra area of Darjeeling district, West Bengal.
The incident took place at around 2:30 am when the five men, travelling in a pickup van and a car, were reportedly suspected by local residents of attempting to steal cattle.
The attack resulted in the deaths of Shahid Akhtar and Sajjad Mohammad, while three others, Amir Sattar, Akram Khan and Arif Khan, sustained injuries. The injured men were taken to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Police teams reached the area and brought the situation under control.
According to Siasat, Shahid Akhtar was a resident of Sonapur in Chopra, North Dinajpur, West Bengal, while Sajjad Mohammad was from Haryana. The three injured men were also residents of Haryana. The confrontation began after villagers became suspicious of the group’s movements and activities. The men were reportedly chased and assaulted by the villagers.
Hindustan Times reported, citing police officials, that one of the victims died at the scene, while another succumbed to his injuries while being taken to hospital. The group was intercepted after reaching Tarabari village, where local residents suspected them of stealing cows. During the attack, the mob reportedly set the pickup van on fire and damaged the car.
The assault allegedly continued as the men were chased from Tarabari towards the Dhimal area, where they were attacked again. Police teams from Matigara, Bagdogra and Panighata police stations responded to the incident after receiving information about the violence and took steps to prevent the situation from escalating further.
A police case has been registered, and the bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examinations. Investigators are conducting raids to identify and apprehend those involved in the attack. Authorities have not yet provided details about the number of people involved or confirmed any arrests as of October 4.
A local resident was quoted as saying that villagers caught the men and attacked them, while the pickup van was set on fire and the car was damaged during the incident.
Police officials said that four of the five men were from Haryana, while Shahid Akhtar was from Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. The incident reportedly occurred against the backdrop of earlier cattle theft cases in the area, which local residents said had increased suspicion among villagers.
The police have urged residents not to take the law into their own hands and stressed that allegations of criminal activity must be dealt with through legal procedures. The investigation remains underway, and authorities are continuing efforts to identify those responsible for the deaths and injuries.
The incident has also drawn attention to a broader pattern of mob violence linked to suspicions of cattle theft and cow slaughter in different parts of India, with Muslim communities frequently among those affected. Rights groups and civil society organisations have repeatedly called for such cases to be investigated impartially and for those responsible for mob attacks to be held accountable.
Police have confirmed that a case has been registered and that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
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