Real estate developer shot at in Dum Dum

Kolkata: A real estate developer suffered bullet injuries on the head after a motorcycle-borne gang of miscreants opened fire on him in broad daylight in Dum Dum Park area. Shekhar Poddar, the builder, has been admitted to Apollo Gleneagles Hospital. The shooting took place at around 11 am on Saturday morning, said deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Amit Javalgi of the Bidhannagar City Police.

Mr Poddar was showing the three bedroom flats to some prospective buyers at a housing apartment he was constructing on a plot of land near 4 no Tank. He was accompanied by another promoter Chiradip Roy. Suddenly three youth came on a motorbike. Two of them got down carrying firearms. They shot at Mr Poddar who fell on a heap of sand with bullet injuries in right hand and head.

The buyers and daily labourers fled for cover in panic as the gang members whisked away in their two-wheeler while firing few rounds in the air. A case on attempt to murder charge was initiated at the Lake Town police station. Preliminary investigation suggested that Mr Roy was also the gang’s target but the bullets missed him and hit Mr Poddar. Mr Javalgi added that the condition of the injured has been stable.

The shooting is suspected to be the outcome of a syndicate clash which has become rampant in the city and across the state. Trinamul Congress MLA of Bidhannagar Sujit Bose alleged that the attackers: Babu Nayek, Gendu and Rajesh who were backed by the CPI(M) earlier have switched their allegiance to the BJP. He also accused BJP leader Pijush Kanoria of patronising them.

Mr Bose claimed, “Since our government came to power, we did not entertain them. We ensured their arrest. They were caught by the police in Odisha. But BJP leaders helped Babu to get bail few days ago. When Pijush came here, he was present with his followers in motorcycles. I told the police then that Pijush has been accused of cheating a bank of Rs 7 crores. All the hoardings on VIP Roads are sponsored by Pijush.”

Rejecting his allegations Mr Kanoria however said, “During the last municipal elections Babu worked for the local councillor of the Trinamul. Mr Bose’s allegation is baseless. It is the failure of the MLA to point fingers at the BJP after using persons like Babu.”