Kolkata: Tension gripped Pilkhana area of Howrah after a promoter was shot dead on early Wednesday morning, leading to massive protest by locals who burnt tyres and blocked roads. A large contingent of police forces including the Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed to control the situation.
According to sources, the promoter, Shaufique Khan was talking to two people near a tea stall on Wednesday morning, when one of them shot him.
As he collapsed, the other accused fired multiple rounds to ensure his death and fled the spot.
Shaufique was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. Locals identified the killers as Harun Khan and Rohit. Police suspect that the attack on Shaufique was carried out over a personal dispute involving money. Commissioner of Police, Howrah, Akash Magharia said that a massive manhunt is on to nab the accused and also assured that stringent action will be taken against them.
BJP has alleged that the accused is closely linked to local Trinamool MLA Gautam Chowdhury. However, Senior TMC leader Sashi Panja said that both the victim and the accused were promoters and business rivals and there is no politics behind it.
“It would be wrong to link this incident to the party or politics. The matter appears to be related to business rivalries between the two,” she said.
Chowdhury, the TMC MLA from the local Howrah Uttar constituency, visited the victim’s family and said that the murderers won’t be spared.