A 31-year-old Citu leader was hacked and then shot dead at the union office on Jessore Road, in Shyamnagar, on Tuesday evening. Rana Bhakto, who was secretary of the local autorickshaw union, was taken to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

“We are looking for Rajesh Nayek, who led the gang of six assassins,” said an investigating officer.

The police suspect gang rivalry was behind the murder. “A local gang was trying to roll out more autos on the Shyamnagar-Baguiati route. But Rana’s group was opposed to it. Though we aren’t sure about the motive, the dispute might have played a role in the murder,” said the officer.

Rana, a resident of Harihar Colony, off Baguiati, had been a “starter” of the autos that ply on the Shyamnagar-Baguiati route since 2000. He recently bought a cement shop.

Witnesses said the killer gang arrived at the union office in an auto around 6pm. They walked up to Rana and after a brief altercation, one of them pulled out a revolver and tried shooting at him.

But Rana reacted fast and attacked the youth. In the ensuing commotion, the revolver slipped out of the youth’s hand.

“A member of the gang then pulled out a sword and hit Rana repeatedly on his hands and chest. Another youth picked up the revolver and fired at him,” said Kanu Bose, the secretary of the autorickshaw union. “No one dared to come to Rana’s rescue.”

After the murder, the gang sped away in the auto. As news spread, a group from Rana’s neighbourhood rushed to the Citu office and took him to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In protest against the murder, autorickshaw operators in and around the Baguiati-Nagerbazar belt decided to stay off the roads on Wednesday.