Kolkata, Jan 15 (IANS): Two policemen were injured severely as a group of assailants opened fire at a police van carrying two accused back to jail from a court in the Goalpokhar area of West Bengal's North Dinajpur district on Wednesday.

The two injured cops have been admitted to a local hospital and are currently under treatment there. They were been identified as Nilkanta Sarkar and Deben Baishya, but no health updates have been revealed either by the district police authorities or the hospital where they are admitted for treatment.

The event created ripples in the area and tension was prevailing there.

Eyewitnesses said that the policemen presented the two accused in a particular case at the local district court in Islampur on Wednesday afternoon. After the hearing in the matter was over, they were taking the two accused persons back to Raiganj Correctional Home but when the police van reached the Panjipara crossing at Goalpokhar, it slowed down slightly. It was then the waiting assailants opened fire on the vehicle.

However, till the time the report was filed, there was no update from the police on who was actually responsible for the firing. The police have started a thorough investigation into the matter.

Recently, West Bengal, especially Malda district, had been in the headlines over events of firing.

On Tuesday, Trinamool Congress leader Hasan Sheikh was killed and two other local ruling party leaders were severely injured following a public shootout in broad daylight at Kaliachak in Malda district.

On January 2, the Trinamool councillor from ward number 22 of English Bazar municipality in the district, Dulal Sarkar aka Babla was also killed in a public shootout in his locality. The party's Malda town President was later identified as the principal mastermind behind the murder and arrested.