A 22-year-old man who allegedly shot at businessman Pankaj Singh on AJC Bose Road, off Minto Park, in the heart of the city on Sunday night has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.
Bishal Sardar, who worked as a courier delivery boy before he lost his job, was picked up from Bhowanipore on Tuesday night. He has been booked for attempt to murder and under the arms act.
On Tuesday, a youth named Ronit Gupta was arrested in connection with the firing.
The SUV in which Singh and his two friends were travelling allegedly got stuck because of a Ganesh Puja immersion entourage that was moving slowly in the same direction.
Singh got out of the car and allegedly slapped Gupta, who was riding a scooter and was a part of the immersion team. Bishal, who was riding pillion, got off the two-wheeler, allegedly fired at Singh and fled.
The businessman is recovering at an Alipore hospital.
Singh was shot at between 11.15pm and 11.20pm. Night curfew remains in force across the state from 11pm to 5am as an anti-Covid measure.
During the curfew, no one is allowed to be outdoors except those in emergency or involved in emergency services.
Asked about the immersion team’s violation of the night curfew, joint commissioner (crime) Murlidhar Sharma said: “It was a lapse on the part of the local police. An inquiry is being conducted and action will be taken.”
Senior officers said no permission is granted for Ganesh Puja, unlike Durga or Kali Puja.
Over the past few years, the number of Ganesh pujas has multiplied several times in the city, apparently without any formal permission from the administration.
CCTV footage has emerged that shows a number of vehicles, apart from the ones in the immersion team and the businessman’s car, on the stretch. The occupants of all vehicles violated the curfew unless they were in an emergency or involved in emergency services.
Kolkata police commissioner Soumen Mitra had a few weeks ago stressed the need for stricter night patrol and compliance of the night curfew in the city.
Acting on instructions from the top cop, senior officers conducted checks between 11pm and midnight on Tuesday.
Questions have also been raised on the easy access to arms and the police’s apparent inability to contain it.
Last week, a realtor in Bansdroni on the southern fringes of Kolkata was attacked inside his home by a group of men, at least three of whom were carrying arms, as was seen in a purported CCTV footage.
Jeweller held with smuggled gold bars worth Rs 48 lakh and Rs 87.77 lakh
A jewellery shop owner, Chanchal Karmakar, was arrested after smuggled gold bars worth Rs 48 lakh and Rs 87.77 lakh of unaccounted for money were allegedly found in his shop in Ranaghat on Tuesday night.
A customs team raided GK Jewellers on Subhash Avenue and seized the gold bars.
