Two held for TMC leader Nirmal Kundu's murder
Kolkata: Two persons have been arrested for the murder of Trinamool leader Nirmal Kundu, who was shot dead in Nimta on Tuesday evening. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to visit his family on Thursday.
On Tuesday night, police detained a person identified as Suman Kundu, who admitted that he hired a contract killer to murder Nirmal. After interrogating him, cops nabbed the contract killer Sujoy Das from Uttarpara.
According to sources, Suman was a Trinamool worker in Nimta. He joined the BJP a few months ago before the Lok Sabha elections.
The police said Suman had some personal and political rivalry with Nirmal. On Wednesday, it found from a CCTV footage that Nirmal was having a chat with some local residents when two persons on a bike fired two shots at him and fled.
After observing the footage, cops were sure that an expert shooter was involved in the crime as the youth in CCTV footage was seen using a small firearm and he shot the TMC leader on a speeding bike.
During preliminary investigation, the police came to know about the rivalry between Nirmal and Suman. During questioning, Suman confessed to crime and said he had hired Sujoy, who belonged to Burwan in Murshidabad. Cops found his mobile number and tracked him down from Uttarpara by using his phone location. Police claimed that they were not sure about the motive behind the murder but Trinamool leadership claimed that he was being threatened and targeted by the BJP as he was an active Trinamool member.
Nirmal was actively involved in poll-related work in Birati and Nimta areas. He was known to all and confronted the BJP in his area.
"We have arrested two persons in connection with Nirmal's murder. A few more persons might be involved in the incident. A search is on to nab them. A single-shoter and three rounds of bullet have been seized from the contract killer. To ensure that the bullet was fired from the seized firearm, ballistic test will be done," said Ananda Roy, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Zone II of Barracakpore Police.
MP from Dum Dum constituency Saugata Roy, said: "The BJP was targeting Nirmal as he was an active worker of Trinamool."
