A shootout occurred last night, just 500 metres away from the rally point at Rani Rashmoni Avenue, where actor Swastika Mukherjee, Sohini Sarkar, and others staged a sit-in demanding justice in the R G Kar incident.
Police said that late at night, a truck driver was shot at Babughat. He has been admitted to the hospital in a critical condition, and the police have started an investigation.
Two people were arrested during the night, but the main accused is still at large. The incident took place around 2 am on Sunday at the Baje Kadamtala Ghat area of Babughat. According to police sources, the injured truck driver’s name is Kanti Singh, a resident of Howrah. He was driving a sand-loaded truck.
The police believe that the shooting occurred following an argument over the payments. BJP leader Sajal Ghosh said that law and order of state turned worse even as a drunk youth molested two women at the Rani Rashmoni Rally point.” The Calcutta High Court, Governor House and several important offices are located in the area where shootout took place,” he said. It is reported that the driver received an order to transport a sand-loaded truck to the Kohinoor Market.
The deal was initially settled at Rs 33,000. However, when the truck arrived, only Rs 28,000 was paid to him. After informing his owner, he was instructed to return with the truck. When the truck returned to Babughat, Tinku and a few others followed it. Upon reaching Babughat, they got into an argument with the driver, which escalated with other drivers joining in. The main accused, named Tinku, is believed to have fired the shots and then fled the scene. He was accompanied by three youths named Arif, Asif, and Danish. Among them, Asif and Arif were arrested by the Maidan police that night. They have been charged under the Arms Act.
After receiving news of the shootout, police from Maidan and North Port police stations reached the spot and rescued the injured driver, who was admitted to SSKM Hospital.
He is currently receiving treatment at the trauma care center there. The police are reviewing CCTV footage from the area as part of their investigation. The arrested individuals are also being interrogated.