Seuli at the Serampore hospital. Picture by Krishna Chandra Mishra

March 7: Shooter Seuli Sadhukhan lay bleeding on a road in Serampore this morning after the national medal-winner was shot point-blank in the abdomen on her way to work.

A police patrol came across the 27-year-old employee of Cossipore Gun and Shell Factory and took her to Serampore Walsh Hospital. Eventually, she was shifted to Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta (MCH).

Three unidentified youths on a two-wheeler are said to have attacked Seuli on Khetromohan Shah Street, less than 100 metres from her home and over 40 km from Calcutta, at 7.30 am while she was heading to the railway station.

The police said preliminary investigations revealed involvement of two youths. “It seems they did not want to kill her but only injure her. We feel it is a fallout of personal rivalry,” Salil Ganguly, the inspector in charge of Serampore police station, said.

Family members spoke of earlier threat calls from a coach and his brother but the police said they have not been informed.

Serampore Rifle Club secretary Mihir Bhattacharya said: “She performed well both at the national meet representing Bengal and also at the recently concluded sports meets between Bengal and Bangladesh in Asansol. She won a gold there. Seuli had won several gold medals in various national sports meet over the past eight years.”

Doctors said she would be operated on tomorrow.

“The bullet has caused a fracture at the upper joint of left femur (the bone joining waist and knee). She will undergo surgery tomorrow,” said A.N. Biswas, the deputy superintendent of MCH. “She is out of danger,” he added.

A controversy also broke on the manner in which Seuli was shifted from hospital to hospital.

“Since she works in the gun and shell factory, she was taken to Command Hospital in Cossipore. There, doctors advised her relatives to take her to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital,” Giridhari Saha, the vice-chairman of Serampore municipality, said.

Family members said a bleeding Seuli was administered drip and left unattended for two hours at RG Kar before they decided to shift her to a private nursing home.

“The nursing home authorities refused admission as it was a police case,” said a relative.

She was finally admitted to the orthopaedic ward of MCH.

RG Kar hospital authorities said they would look into the charge of negligence, though no formal complaint has been lodged.