A deaf and dumb youth, Ripon Malitha (22), was stabbed to death in the evening yesterday at Shibnagar area under Hariharpara police station limits in Murshidabad district, sources said.
Ripon’s relatives today alleged that he was attacked by Imran Sheikh who had eloped with the slain youth’s wife last year. In the wake of the incident, some of the aggrieved residents of the locality set on fire a house belonging to Sheikh. Ripon Malitha’s wife allegedly eloped with Imran last year and she had been to live with Imran since then, sources said adding the woman intended to return to Ripon, leaving Imran furious.
A kangaroo court had reportedly intervened to settle the issue of elopement about six months back when Ripon, the deaf and dumb youth, desperately tried to express his apprehension before the Majlis (rural court) that he might be killed by Imran. “That time we could not fully understand Ripon’s sign language. So, his allegation was not taken seriously. Now it is crystal clear that Ripon raised allegation of attempt to murder against Imran Sheikh that time,” said a village leader.
Jahangir Biswas, a villager, told reporters that an attempt was made to address Ripon’s grievances against Imran but the non-verbal language of the deaf and dumb youth stood in the way of taking action. According to eye-witnesses, Ripon was stabbed in the neck repeatedly when he was engaged in irrigating a jute field at Shibnagar.
The youth somehow managed to free himself from the attacker, ran away and collapsed on the road nearby. On way to hospital, he succumbed to his injuries near Tajpur crossing and the doctors declared him dead on arrival, sources informed. The police today launched an inquiry into the murder.