Cop kills woman before shooting self dead near B'desh Dy High Commission

Kolkata: A police constable posted at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission at upscale Park Circus area in Kolkata fired multiple rounds before shooting himself dead on Friday. A woman who was hit in the firing reportedly died while two others have been injured.

The Kolkata Police constable, Chodup Lepcha, had been on leave and had joined duty on Friday.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal visited the spot at around 4 pm and took stock of the situation. He said: "Chodup Lepcha had joined the Kolkata Police less than a year ago on compassionate ground. We will investigate why he committed suicide and why he was depressed."

According to sources, the police constable, who belonged to Kalimpong, was posted at the 5th Battalion of Kolkata Armed Police and was deputed at the Bangladesh High Commission police booth recently. He was on leave till Thursday. On Friday, Lepcha joined his duty at the police booth in front of the Bangladesh High Commission. At around 2 pm, Lepcha told his two colleagues that he was going out to have a cup of tea.

After a while Lepcha walked along the Lower Range area from the Circus Avenue direction adjacent to the Bangladesh High Commission and started firing from his Self Loading Rifle (SLR) indiscriminately. At the same time, a woman passer-by, identified as Rima Singh of Howrah's Dasnagar, who was walking along the Lower Range was shot beside her head. A youth, identified as Md. Sarfaraz, who was riding a motorcycle was also hit by a bullet on his back. But Sarfaraz somehow managed to hold on and fled the spot on his motorcycle. Another man, identified as Bashir Alam of Collin Street, was also hit by a bullet and somehow managed to flee the spot.

Sarfaraz reached Park Circus Seven Point Crossing and sought help from the police personnel there while a road blockade was going on. He was rushed to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) by the cops. After a while, Alam was also rushed to CNMCH. Later they were shifted to SSKM Hospital for better treatment.

Meanwhile, cops rushed to the Lower Range and found that Lepcha had shot himself already. Singh who was lying unconscious on the road was rushed to where she was declared brought dead. Locals claimed that Lepcha fired indiscriminately due to which Bashir Alam also suffered a bullet injury. After that, Lepcha walked along the Lower Range towards AJC Bose Road and shot one round aimlessly and then reportedly shot himself. Those who were there at the spot when the shootout happened claimed that around 15 rounds of bullets were fired by Lepcha.