Two arrested in Gangarampur shooting, main accused absconding

BALURGHAT: Police on Thursday arrested two individuals from Gangarampur in South Dinajpur in connection with a shooting incident targeting a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker late on Tuesday night. The prime accused remains absconding and a manhunt has been launched to apprehend him.

The main accused, identified as Babu Chowdhury, president of the SC/OBC cell of the Gangarampur town TMC unit, is still absconding. However, the police have arrested Manoj Prasad Jaiswal (48) and Biswajit Kundu (32) on charges of involvement in the incident. According to police sources, the two accused were produced before the Gangarampur Sub-Divisional Court on Thursday and subsequently taken into custody for sustained interrogation to ascertain further details of the conspiracy.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Gangarampur, Shubhotosh Sarkar said that the incident stemmed from a business rivalry between the main accused, Babu Chowdhury and the injured TMC worker, Shiba Chowdhury.

“On Tuesday around 11:15 pm, the accused allegedly opened fire targeting Shiba Chowdhury near the Gangarampur Police Station area,” Sarkar said. Following the incident, the victim’s family lodged a written complaint at the local police station, prompting an immediate and detailed investigation.

“Acting on the complaint, police arrested Manoj Prasad Jaiswal and driver Biswajit Kundu for their alleged involvement in the case,” he added. The SDPO further stated that raids are being conducted at multiple locations to trace the absconding main accused. “We have also come to know that the accused was under the influence of alcohol on the day of the incident,” Sarkar said.