TMC leader shot dead at Bandel station, 24-hour bandh called

Kolkata: A Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead at a railway station in Hooghly district on Saturday morning.

Dilip Ram, a local Trinamool leader and the husband of a Trinamool Gram Panchayat Pradhan in the district, was allegedly shot in the head, by unknown criminals allegedly backed by the BJP, while he was waiting to catch a local train at Hooghly's Bandel junction railway station at around 10 am.

Protesting against the killing of their leader, the Trinamool Congress has called a 24-hour bandh in Chinsurah on Sunday. Chandannagore Police Commissionarate is conducting an inquiry into the matter. A massive manhunt has begun.

Trinamool Congress has called the bandh, demanding the arrest of the accused and lackadaisical attitude of police. A roadblock was also put up by TMC workers on a stretch on GT Road at Bandel demanding their arrest.

Ritu Singh, wife of the deceased, alleged that Lala Paswan and his brother Biju had killed her husband. Both of them are absconding. Tapan Das Gupta, Trinamool Congress president of Hooghly district, alleged that BJP-backed goons had killed Ram. He said BJP is trying to create disturbance in peaceful areas. He added that a movement will be launched against the hooliganism by a section of the BJP leaders.

Ram, who was an employee of the Indian Railways, was waiting for a local train at Bandel station. Local residents said two miscreants came from behind and fired at him from a point-blank range. The criminals fled the station leaving Ram on the platform in a pool of blood. The passengers who had been waiting at the station panicked and started running for cover.

Some local youths took him to Chinsurah hospital where the doctors referred him to a hospital in Kolkata. Ram died on the way.

Elaborate police arrangements were made once the news of his death reached Chinsurah. Police put up barricades in various areas. Ram's body was sent for post-mortem and the preliminary report said the two bullets had hit his brain killing him instantly.

Ritu alleged that some days ago, Lala Paswan and his brother Biju had tried to kill Dilip. He was saved by some of his friends. The Paswan brothers left the area threatening Ram with dire consequences. "They were attempting on his life since then. Today they got an opportunity and killed him," she said.

Local Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that despite repeated complaints, the police did not take any action against the criminals who had unleashed a 'Reign of Terror' after getting support from local BJP leaders. They said trouble in the area began after BJP won the Hooghly Lok Sabha seat. "The police did not listen to us and Ram had to pay the price for it. We will launch a movement and demand stern action against the persons involved," local leaders said.