Panskura TMC leader murder: Prime accused arrested

Kolkata: The prime accused of Panskura Trinamool Congress leader Kurban Shah murder, Anisur Rahman, was arrested late on Sunday night. Shah was murdered on October 7 night, on the day of Nabami, when he was at Mysore Bazaar party office.

Rahman, who is local BJP leader, has been remanded to police custody for 13 days.

According to sources, on October 7 night, when the incident took place, about 5 to 6 Trinamool workers were also present at the party office. Around 10 pm, at least seven miscreants on five motorbikes barged into the party office. Before anyone could act, they started firing bullets at Shah. After firing six rounds, miscreants fled the spot on their motorbikes. They fired several more rounds to create panic among people and escape without facing trouble.

During investigation, the police arrested a man, identified as Abdul Khalek Khan, three days after the murder. After interrogation, the cops came to know about a few others, who were involved in the murder.

In phases, the police arrested seven persons, including a contract killer, identified as Taslim Arif alias Raja.

While interrogating Raja, the police came to know that Rahman gave him Rs five lakh to execute the murder. Raja allegedly hired criminals to get Shah killed.

On Sunday night, the police came to know that Rahman has been seen in Mecheda.

Based on the information, the police conducted a raid in Mecheda railway station area around 2 am and nabbed him.

The police arrested an associate of Rahman identified as Mubarak from Mecheda. Though Rahman earlier claimed that he was not connected with the murder, confession of Arif before the police substantiated the allegation.

Some local residents and Trinamool Congress workers who were present at the time of murder had identified Arif and other arrested persons during Test Identification (TI) parade.

The police claimed that Rahman had both political and personal rivalry with Shah.

Earlier on several occasions, a scuffle took place between them.

Most of the cases were lodged against Shah. Superintendent of Police (SP), East Midnapore, V. Solomon Nesakumar on Monday said: "Rahman confessed the crime. He is being interrogated for further information. Primarily, it was revealed that he had political and personal rivalry with Shah." Since murder of Shah, his family members had claimed that local BJP leader Rahman was behind it.

But then the saffron party leaders alleged that their members had nothing to do with the murder.