Four die in separate incidents of shooting

Four persons, including two businessmen, died in four separate incidents of shooting across the state. The other two casualties include an 18-year-old boy and an accused in one of the shooting incidents.

A local businessman from Sodepur in North 24 Parganas was shot at after he refused to pay extortion money to some local miscreants. The businessman Hemanta Mondal, a resident of Dakshin Panshila area, was returning home late Wednesday night when three miscreants came on a motorcycle and stopped him on his path. The culprits shot at Mondal from close range. After hearing the sound of the 

gunshot, local residents rushed to the spot and rescued the victim and took him to a nearby hospital.

The residents managed to catch one of the culprits, while the other two managed to flee from the spot.

The accused ended up getting beaten brutally by the crowd. Police later reached the spot and took the accused to Balarampur State General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Police are conducting raids to nab the remaining culprits. According to preliminary investigation, police suspect that the miscreants tried to kill Mondal as he refused to pay extortion.

In the second incident, a businessman from Mograhat in South 24 Parganas was shot dead by some miscreants late Wednesday night. Police said that Safiullah Gaji was returning home on his motorcycle, with his friend Salauddin Gaji on the pillion, when the miscreants stopped him near Bakipur area under Mograhat police station.

They shot at Safiullah from point blank and beat up his friend badly. The miscreants fled from the spot with charging bombs all around when the local people came out hearing the gun shot. The locals rushed Gaji to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced brought dead by the doctors.

After starting an investigation into the murder of Gaji, police suspect that a business rivalry might have led to his death. Gaji’s family members told the police that a local miscreant Sukur Ali, who had been threatening the victim for quite some time, might have been involved in the incident. Police are conducting raids at different hideouts of criminals to nab the culprits.

In another incident that occurred at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas, an 18-year-old boy Sanjoy Lohar died after being shot by some goons. The victim was declared brought dead after being taken to Bhatpara State General Hospital.

Police said that the victim was taking a stroll last night on a road adjacent to his house at Panchanantala area when a gang of five miscreants arrived at the spot and shot him from close range.

Lohar’s family members told police that one Somenath Das, a local miscreant and his gang members were involved in the crime. Police have started a probe into the incident.

Another businessman Anirban Mistry was shot at by goons. The incident happened at Chandannagar in Hooghly on Thursday morning. Police suspect that an old business rivalry might have led to the murder of the businessman. Police have initiated an investigation in this regard.