A 19-YEAR-OLD man was shot dead near a liquor shop in Jagatdal area of North 24 Parganas district, police said on Sunday. The incident took place around 2:30 am and is the second such case in the district in the past 24 hours, they added.
Three persons, including the main accused, were arrested later in the day. On Saturday, a realtor was shot dead in Bhatpara.
Police identified the victim as Rohit Das, a jute mill worker. A senior officer said, “The incident took place at rail gate number 27 of Jagdal, where a group of people were having liquor. A case has been registered and a probe is on. Prima facie, the victim’s friend shot him in the stomach. According to the victim’s family, he was found lying in a pool of blood near their residence.
“The motive is not clear yet. The prime accused, Karan has a criminal background and was arrested earlier too, in February, in a case under section 399 (Dacoity), 400 (Belonging to a gang of persons associated for the purpose of habitually committing dacoity),” said Manoj .Verma, Commissioner of Police, Barrackpore. Pradip Das, father of the victim, said, “Around 2:30 am on Sunday, we heard a loud scream. My wife stepped out of the house and saw our son lying in a pool of blood. He asked us to take him to hospital. He also told us that he was shot by a youth named Karan.” Rohit was taken to Bhatpara Government General Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
MP Arjun Singh, who recently rejoined the TMC, said, “This seems to be the fallout of a brawl at a liquor shop. I have also come to know that the accused person was his friend. It is up to the police to check how such liquor shops are kept open during late night hours,” said
On Saturday, a realtor was shot dead in Bhatpara. According to sources, the victim, Salamuddin Ansari, had received a tender worth over Rs 4 lakh from the municipality. The police haven’t ruled out the possibility that a dispute over this may have led to the murder. Two persons have been arrested in the case, police said.
“CCTV footage shows that 11 people were present at the spot at the time of the murder,” said a police officer. Salauddin was one of the accused in a crude bomb blast that killed two people at Kamarhati in 2020.
“Salauddin Ansari, was a local real estate promoter. According to eyewitnesses, Ansari was sitting in front of his residence around noon, when suddenly three persons approached him and started talking to him. According to local sources, the three offered him a cigarette and they smoked. One of the three suddenly took out a firearm and fired three bullets from point-blank range, the sources added. Ansari died instantly. The accused then fled.
With two murders in 24 hours in Bhatpara and Jagdal, a political blame game has begun.
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“Unfortunately, bombs, murders, counterfeit currency and human trafficking have become regular instances in Bengal. It is quite worrisome for all of us. The latest incident shows an administrative failure on the part of the ruling TMC,” said senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The BJP, too, blamed TMC for “rise in crime” in the area.
“Almost daily, some incident of gang war is reported from this area. All these gang members have close connections with the ruling TMC,” claimed senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha.
MP Arjun Singh said, “Let’s not jump to conclusions. As per initial reports, one is a case of business rivalry. Investigation is on and the culprits will not be spared.”
Gargi Chatterjee, a local CPM leader, however, blamed Singh for “creating trouble” in the area.
Asked about the “rising crime” in the area, Commissioner Manoj Verma said, “People from outside…such as Bihar, Munger have entered the area. We have recovered more than 200 firearms in six months, which is higher than the recovery made in the past three years,” added Verma.