Two men have been arrested for allegedly murdering Snehasish Roy, the fire department employee who was shot dead in front of his apartment block in Lake Town on Thursday afternoon.
Police identified the duo as Ayush Sharma, 18, and Afroz Ansari, 22, both residents of Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas.
Police sources said at least three persons, including Sharma and Ansari, had come by foot and called Roy by his name while he was parking his bike. One of them allegedly pulled the trigger.
The police said the assailants had come in public transport, walked to Roy’s apartment block and fled in public transport.
“After committing the crime, they ran towards Jessore Road and boarded a bus to reach a railway station, from where they boarded a train,” said an officer in the Bidhannagar commissionerate.
The police suspect the two were hired for the job. “Till now it appears some personal matter was the motive for the murder. Once we nab the mastermind, things will be clearer,” said an investigator.
Bidhannagar police commissioner Gaurav Sharma said on Friday the two accused admitted to killing Roy and also named the people who had hired them to commit the crime.
“We have the names of the masterminds and are tracking them down. We have got some leads and will arrest them at the earliest,” Sharma said.
Sources said the arrested duo had claimed they were promised Rs 1 lakh for the job.
In the court on Friday, public prosecutor Mohammed Shabbir Ali submitted a petition for a test identification parade. Lawyer Subhajit Saha, who appeared for Sharma and Ansari, told the court that CCTV footage from a camera installed in the locality showed the two were merely running in the area.
“The police have not found any firearms on the two. Camera footage shows them running, but that cannot be the ground for their arrest,”Saha submitted in the court while pleading for bail for the two.
Additional chief judicial magistrate Subhankar Biswas granted the prayer for a test identification parade and sent the accused to 14 days’ judicial custody.
The police said Roy had a business of supplying building materials before joining the fire department. A year ago an attempt was made on his life.
Robbery probe focus on bike
Officers investigating the robbery on Baghajatin Station Road early on Thursday have identified a motorcycle that the two suspects allegedly used to flee the spot, sources in Kolkata police said.
Gopal Kundu, 51, a trader, had reported to the police that he had been robbed of Rs 3.8 lakh that he was carrying in two bags.
No one was arrested till late on Friday evening.
“With the help of CCTV footage we have been able to track the movement of the bike carrying the two alleged robbers on EM Bypass,” an officer said.
The police said the bike sped from the spot towards the Bypass and then took a right turn towards Dhalai Bridge.