11 arrested over Joynagar shootout

Kolkata: The police arrested 11 persons in connection with the killing of three persons including a Trinamool Congress worker at Joynagar in South 24-Parganas on Thursday evening.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken up the case and senior officers visited the spot on Friday morning. A huge cache of live bombs was recovered from the surrounding areas, following which officers of Bomb Disposal Squad and Fire and Emergency Services department defused them. The prime accused in the case, identified as Babua, is absconding.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the miscreant had engaged hired criminals to eliminate Sarfuddin, a local goon who had unleashed a reign of terror in the area.

Babua's brother, who was picked up by the police, told CID officers about the engagement of hired criminals to eliminate Sarfuddin, Babua's opponent.

After the incident on Thursday evening, Trinamool Congress MLA Biswanath Das had told police that he was the target. After preliminary investigation, police officers feel that he was not the main target. He had got down from the vehicle earlier, which was known to the hired criminals.

It has been learnt that Babua's brother had told police that the criminals had conducted a survey of the area and the Indian Oil petrol pump was selected as Sarfuddin was inside the pump.

Biswanath Das comes to a tea stall every day in the evening, which is situated next to the petrol pump. The criminals positioned themselves around the pump and fired at the MLA's vehicle.

The police and CID officers conducted a raid in the area and arrested 11 persons. The sleuths also saw the footages which had been recorded in the CCTV cameras positioned around the petrol pump. Police pickets have been posted and a massive manhunt is on for the absconding criminals.