A man on his way to a police station on a motorbike was shot at twice on a deserted stretch in Uluberia — around 40km from the heart of the city — on Sunday night.

Police said the man was attacked by two bike-borne snatchers who allegedly opened fire at him after he tried to resist them.

Pinaki Das, 25, a resident of Ranihati in Panchla and an engineer by profession, was going to Uluberia police station to lodge a complaint after losing his wallet when he came under attack, the police said.

Das had apparently lost his way while trying to reach Uluberia police station.

“He said he had stopped his bike to take out his mobile phone and check the location when two men on a bike approached him from behind and demanded his belongings. The men had also asked him to leave his bike,” an officer of Howrah police said, quoting Das.

“Two bullets hit him. One hit his bike. The victim told us that the two men fled after he started screaming,” a police officer said.

Das had to undergo surgery for removal of the bullets. One of the bullets hit him below his neck, towards the left side of his shoulder, and the other got lodged in his right arm.
Das mentioned in his statement that one of the two snatchers had pulled out a gun while asking him to hand over the bike. The man allegedly fired after Das tried to snatch the gun.

Das said he alerted his family members over the phone and shared his location.

He was initially taken to Uluberia State General Hospital and shifted to SSKM Hospital on Monday morning.

A senior police officer said they were trying to find out whether there were any CCTV cameras in the neighbourhood where the alleged incident happened.

“It is very important to either get an eyewitness or some circumstantial evidence to verify the statement of the victim,” the officer said.

Das’s motorbike will be subjected to forensic tests to check the nature of the bullet mark, sources said.

No one was arrested till late on Monday.