Kolkata, Jan 27 (IANS): A youth has been hacked to death in the Najirganj area in Howrah district. The body of the victim, identified as Robi Rai, a resident of Nepali Para, was recovered on early on Friday morning from the roadside.

His family members claimed that Robi had gone out to purchase food from a takeaway joint nearby late on Thursday evening to celebrate the occasion of Saraswati Puja. However, he did not return and early on Friday morning, his body was detected.

His family members alleged that Robi was killed for protesting against an illegal liquor-cum-gambling joint in the area.

Tension mounted in the area after his body was detected.

The locals alleged that this was the handiwork of the local anti-social elements who used to assemble at an illegal liquor-cum-gambling joint in the locality.

The locals also alleged that despite repeated appeals from them to close down the den, the local police refused to take action.

Robi was reportedly the most vocal among the local people on this count, and many times he had entered into altercations with the anti-social elements assembling at the joint and creating nuisance in the area.

The police have sent the body for post-mortem purposes.

Two persons have been detained in connection with the case, who are being interrogated by the police. The police are also checking CCTV footages from the locality for further clues.

Howrah district has been in the headlines recently for the wrong reasons. Just four days back, a 35-year-old man was killed by two local goons after the victim tried to prevent his daughter's molestation.

The two accused have been arrested and charged under the relevant sections of the IPC and tth Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.