Shots fired at rooftop party in Kolkata's Patuli; Trinamool supporter killed

Kolkata, March 26 (IANS) A Trinamool Congress supporter was killed in Kolkata following a gunfight between two rival groups while they were sitting and consuming alcohol on a rooftop at midnight, the police said on Thursday.

Spare cartridges were found scattered across the area. The incident took place in Ward No. 101 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The deceased has been identified as Rahul Dey (36). Another individual, named Jeet Mukherjee, sustained injuries.

According to the police, Rahul and Jeet were previously acquainted; however, they had not been in contact for a long time. On Wednesday night, an event was being hosted at Jeet Mukherjee's residence, to which Rahul had been invited. Subsequently, the group gathered on the rooftop of Jeet's house. They were allegedly consuming alcohol at the time. Around 12.30 a.m., neighbours heard gunfire. Approximately three rounds of shots were heard. The others who were present on the rooftop fled the scene. It was through one of them that news was conveyed to Rahul's family.

Upon reaching the scene, Rahul's brother and mother found him lying there, bloodied and with gunshot wounds. Jeet was found lying right beside him. Both men were rescued and rushed to a hospital, where doctors pronounced Rahul dead.

According to locals, Jeet had been barred from entering Patuli since 2021. He had been arrested multiple times by the Patuli Police Station on charges of involvement in various anti-social activities. Although he initially began working as a loyal foot soldier for the area's Trinamool Councillor, Bappaditya Dasgupta, he subsequently began engaging in various illicit activities across the locality while invoking the Councillor's name. Consequently, the Councillor himself lodged a complaint with the police station. Not just once or twice, but on several occasions, Jeet was arrested by the police.

Following this, he was expelled from the local Trinamool camp and banished from the area. Jeet then rented a home in the neighbouring Ward No. 99 and began residing there. However, allegations suggest that even after moving there, the man continued to engage in similar criminal activities. Police said he was arrested several times by the Netaji Nagar Police Station.

It was learnt that for the past 15 to 20 days, he had returned to Patuli's Phoolbagan area and started staying at his parents' flat again. He claimed that he had come merely to visit his parents, not to reside in the locality permanently.

It is alleged that on Wednesday night, he invited Rahul to join a drinking session organised on the rooftop of his residential complex. The gathering was proceeding as planned when miscreants belonging to a rival faction -- opposed to Jeet and Rahul -- entered the complex and made their way to the rooftop. There, they opened fire indiscriminately. Rahul succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while Jeet sustained injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital located near the EM Bypass.

The deceased Rahul's brother said, "I received a phone call at 1.00 a.m. The brother of one of the individuals present at the party called me. I took my mother and rushed to the scene. The police were already on the rooftop. I saw two people lying there. Jeet's wife was also present. My brother, Rahul, was there as well. The police brought Jeet down first. By the time I saw my brother, he was already gone. It was Jeet who had reached out to my brother after so many years. Why did something like this happen so suddenly?"

Preliminary police investigations suggest that the shooting incident stemmed from a dispute between two rival factions over syndicates and the distribution of money.

--IANS

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