A Trinamul Congress leader was shot dead while he was taking tea at a stall in Nadia district on Friday morning.

Family members and sources claimed that Amod Ali Biswas, 45, had recently earned the wrath of a smuggling racket with alleged proximity to a section of local Trinamul leaders.

The murder occurred at Baro Chupria in Hanshkhali.

Biswas, who was the vice-president of Trinamul’s panchayat-level committee, had in the past escaped at least three attempts on his life.

Amod Ali Biswas. The Telegraph

His wife Salma Biswas alleged that after the previous attempts on Biswas’ life, the police did not take any complaints. She also raised fingers at some of the local Trinamul leaders and a present member of the local gram panchayat.

The police have begun a suo moto murder case into the incident. The police claimed that Biswas had criminal records, including a murder charge, against him. He was recently arrested for possessing arms illegally and granted bail a few days ago.

Police and eyewitnesses claimed that unidentified criminals called Biswas when he was taking tea at a stall near his home.

“Once he stepped out, the goons fired at his legs. He tried to run away but at least six goons chased him. Biswas took shelter in a shop. But he was dragged out and at least eight rounds of bullets were fired at him. A bullet was fired in his forehead to ensure his death,” a shop owner said.

Salma blamed an existing member of Baro Chupria-I gram panchayat and his four aides behind the murder. However, she is yet to lodge a formal complaint against them.

“They tried to kill my husband on earlier occasions. My husband was a hindrance on their way. The party leadership knew everything. But never helped my husband,” Salma said.

Trinamul’s Ranaghat organizing committee president Debasish Ganguly, however, ruled out any internal feud behind the murder. “We suspect personal enmity behind the incident,” he said.

Local party activists are angry with the leadership as a section of the party never supported Biswas and had opposed his initiative to install CCTV in the area to keep an eye on law and order problems.

A senior police official of Ranaghat police district said, “All angles are being looked into. We have got some clues and hopeful to nab the persons behind the murder.”

With Biswas’ murder, at least four prominent Trinamul Congress activists have been killed ahead of the gram panchayat elections. In all of these cases fingers have been pointed at rival factions of the ruling party causing embarrassment to the leadership.

The spate murders began on January 4 when Trinamul leader Afzal Momin was killed at Mothabari in Maldah when he objected to playing loud music at a picnic party. Afzal was beaten to death on the spot.

On January 23, Trinamul leader Altaf Seikh was shot dead in Murshidabd’s Nowadapara by goons while returning home. On February 19, Sadhan Mondal, a booth committee president of Trinamul Congress in Bishnupur of South 24-Parganas, was shot dead at a tea stall.

On March 30, two Trinamul activists were killed allegedly by party’s rival faction in North Dinajpur’s Chopra while they were coming out of a party meeting.

Mizoram duo held with Rs 8-crore gold

Siliguri: The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) in Siliguri have seized gold bars estimated at Rs 8.61 crore and arrested two persons in this connection.

Sources said Mark Chingsian Paua, 29, and a 36-year-old woman Lianngaihluni, both residents of Champhai area in Mizoram, were intercepted on NH27 at Phatapukur in Jalpaiguri district on Thursday evening.

“The DRI officials searched their SUV and 13 gold bars weighing around 14 kg was recovered from a specially built compartment under the chassis of the vehicle. The duo were illegally ferrying the gold to Calcutta,” said a source.

The gold bars are suspected to have entered India through Myanmar border.

BIRESWAR BANERJEE