A 27-year-old promoter was shot multiple times on Wednesday early morning.
Caught on CCTV camera, the victim Shaufique Khan was seen talking to two people on Howrah’s Pilkhana road under the Golabari police station, while pedestrians walked past them.
One of the assailants, who was standing behind Shaufique, took out a weapon and fired on his head from point blank range. After Shaufique collapsed on the road, the first assailant and the co-accomplice pumped some more bullets and fled.
Some of the locals were seen running after the shooters.
“Preliminary investigation revealed, the victim and the accused, Haroon Sheikh, were involved in the joint business. There was a dispute over payment. We are looking for those involved in the murder,” said Akash Magharia, the commissioner of Howrah police.
The local BJP has claimed that Sheikh was close to the Trinamool’s Howrah North MLA Gautam Chowdhury. They also shared a video of the MLA along with Sheikh.
The other accused in the murder, identified as Rohit, is suspected to be an arms dealer who had been imprisoned some years ago in connection with another case.
When Chowdhury went to meet the family members of the slain promoter, he met with protests from the locals.
“I am a public representative. I get to meet thousands of people daily. It is not possible to find out who is a criminal and who is clean. A murder has taken place and the police will find the culprits,” said the MLA.
The residents of Pilkhana road threatened to boycott the upcoming Assembly polls unless the killers are caught.
