A 53-year-old man was shot at with pellets fired from a pipe gun early on Friday morning when he stepped out of his apartment to dump garbage near his house in Northern Park in Baranagar.
Police said the incident occurred around 6.30am.
Bikash Majumder narrowly escaped serious injury as he managed to duck the pellets.
An employee of the state transport department, Majumder, works in a tram depot under the Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) in Nonapukur near Park Circus.
Some pellets grazed Majumder’s right arm and neck when he tried to shield himself, he later told the police.
The cops are analysing the motive behind the alleged attack.
Some of his neighbours rushed him to Baranagar State General Hospital, where he was treated and later discharged.
“I was going to throw the garbage around the corner of my house when the pellets were fired. I screamed and threw the dustbin I was carrying,” Majumder said on Friday.
“I couldn’t identify those who fired at me. They came on a two-wheeler and had helmets on.”
Northern Park is a locality near Dunlop under the jurisdiction of Baranagar police station. Majumder has been living in the area with his family on the second floor of a building for several years.
Some of Majumder’s neighbours said he was a quiet man who preferred to spend time with his family. An early morning shooting in their neighbourhood left them stunned.
“This locality has never witnessed such an incident. Fortunately, Bikash had a close shave,” said Sekhar Das, a resident. “Police should investigate thoroughly.”
A team of officers of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate reached the area shortly after the incident.
They came on a two-wheeler, fled immediately after missing the target, the police said. They took a road that connects to the Belgharia Expressway.
“It seems the men used a pipe gun, which might have malfunctioned. Local police and the detective department of Barrackpore commissionerate are working on the case,” said Murli Dhar, the commissioner of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.
Senior police officers said the men were aware of Majumder’s daily routine, including when he steps out of his apartment to throw garbage at a dumpyard nearby.
“We are going through CCTV footage to find out about the vehicle that was used,” a senior police officer said.
“We have spoken to the family members. The call detail records are also being examined. We are not ruling out any personal dispute.”
Located close to the Dunlop intersection in the city’s north, officers said many visitors frequent the area around Northern Park throughout the day, and a significant number are on two-wheelers.
“Those who carried out the attack seemed to know an easy escape route via the Belgharia Expressway,” the officer added.