Trader in Malda shot at by bike-borne goons

Bike-borne miscreants shot at a trader in broadday light at Mahadipur in Malda.

The incident took place on Monday morning, when Manik Ghosh, a 42-year-old trader, was shot at twice from point black range.

Ghosh was standing in front of his truck when the assailants shot at him. As soon as he fell on the ground, the miscreants fled the spot. Before they left, they threatened the other traders in the area to not file any complaints.

The local traders called up an ambulance to rescue the injured Ghosh and took him to a nearby hospital. Ghosh is reported to be in a critical condition.

Police have started an investigation and sniffer dogs were brought in the area. The dogs initially found a trail towards the main road, but soon lost it. “The reason for the shoot-out is still unknown. We suspect that a business rivalry may be the reason,” said a police officer.

Further investigation revealed that Ghosh was an exporter of Bangladeshi goods, and brought in goods via the India-Bangladesh border. Recently, he had been involved in a tiff with some business rivals.

“The condition of the victim is critical. Doctors did not give us permission to question him. So we will wait till he is safe and discharged,” the police officer said.

It may be recalled that a scrap iron trader in Malda was shot in a similar fashion a few weeks ago, while he was returning home. Investigators learnt that the scrap iron mafia might be involved in the case.

Shyamal Bauri, the victim, was riding his motorcycle when he was being attacked. The gun-toting assailant came from the opposite direction riding another motorbike, shot thrice and sped off from the spot.

“Old cases will be studied during the investigation. Some of the old cases are still unsolved. Those cases can give us important clues,” the investigating officer added.