Criminal shot dead in Chinsurah

Kolkata: A notorious criminal was shot dead at Chinsurah in Hooghly on Saturday night. It is alleged that the deceased identified as Prabir Hela alias Haat Kata Munna (38) was planning to kill local Trinamool Congress leader Bijoy Kahar.

According to sources, on Saturday night, a few members of Azad Hind Club in Chinsurah were having a chat. Kahar was also present there. At that moment, Hela and his associates, including another person Manik Sardar, arrived there and started threatening the club members and Kahar. When club members protested Hela and his few associates started assaulting them. All of a sudden someone fired a bullet which hit Hela's chest. When the bullet hit him, other miscreants fled the scene. Hela was rushed to Chinsurah Imambara Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

According to locals, Sardar and Hela used to work as muscleman for CPI(M) during the Left regime. After 2011, they had fled the area and were out of Chinsurah since eight years. Sources claimed, Sardar and Hela came back in Chinsurah to spread terror and they were targeting Kahar.

Sleuths are trying to identify the person who had fired the bullet. Several club members and locals have been questioned. Till Sunday night none was arrested.

Local Trinamool leadership alleged that the BJP was behind the attack as they were using former CPI(M)-backed goons to dominate the area. Kahar claimed that a few days ago he was threatened by some anti-socials to hand over the charge of the club to them by taking the name of the BJP. But the BJP has denied the allegations.