Villagers in Darjeeling Kill Two Men and Injure Three Over Alleged Cattle Theft

Around 2:30 am on 3 October 2026, villagers in Tarabari village, within the Matigara-Bagdogra area of Darjeeling district, intercepted a pickup van and a car they believed were involved in cattle theft. A mob pursued the five men, set the van on fire, damaged the car and continued the assault into the Dhimal area. Two of the men, identified as Shahid Akhtar of Sonapur, North Dinajpur’s Chopra, and Sajjad Mohammad of Haryana, died—one at the scene and the other en route to hospital.

Three other Haryana residents—Amir Sattar, Akram Khan and Arif Khan—sustained injuries and were treated at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. Police units from Matigara, Bagdogra and Panighata stations responded, contained the violence, registered a case and sent the bodies for post-mortem analysis. Ongoing investigations include raids to locate additional participants, while authorities have urged the public to refrain from taking law enforcement into their own hands.