KOLKATA: A businessman’s body was found lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot injury beside his ears in Bhatpara of North 24-Parganas on Sunday morning.
The man identified as Arvind Prasad (35) of 64 Pally in Bhatpara owned a readymade garments business in Metiabruz.
On Sunday around 1 pm, some locals informed police that a youth in the brickfield area of ward 35 in Bhatpara shot himself using a pistol. When the police team reached the spot, they found a 9mm pistol lying next to his body. Police also found a magazine and two rounds of bullets in his trousers’ pocket and a piece of paper on which his name and a mobile number were written.
Subsequently, police called on the written phone number and found it to be of Manish Rai who is Prasad’s neighbour. Later Prasad’s family members were also informed.
Rai confirmed that Prasad owned a readymade garments shop in Metiabruz but said that it was closed for the past three months. It is suspected that the shop was shut down because of a financial crunch.
Police sources claimed that there are eyewitnesses who had seen Prasad shooting himself. However, Prasad had no license for the pistol.
Questions have cropped up about how a garment businessman was able to procure an illegal firearm. Cops have registered a case and initiated a probe.
Prasad’s family members and friends in his close circuit are being interrogated as well. Also, police are yet to check his mobile phone’s call details to find out with whom he was in constant touch.
On the other hand, Prasad’s wife Suman claimed that her husband had been murdered. However, she also said that her husband had no business rivals or enmity with anyone.