Kolkata: Notorious criminal Raja Dutta was killed in a suspected shootout in the early hours of Monday near the Belghoria Expressway in North Dum Dum, police said, adding that five people have been detained for questioning in connection with the incident. No arrests have been made so far.
Police have begun examining CCTV footage from the area to identify those involved and reconstruct the sequence of events. Preliminary investigations suggest that Dutta may have been killed in a shootout linked to a gang rivalry.
Dutta’s bullet-riddled body was recovered from the roadside near the expressway. He was found in a critically injured condition and was rushed to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Two of his associates, who were also injured in the incident, are undergoing treatment and are stated to be in critical condition.
According to police sources, Dutta, a resident of Birati in North 24 Parganas district, was travelling on his motorcycle along the Belghoria Expressway when he allegedly came into contact with a rival group. Investigators suspect that the attackers, who were known to him, were already present in the area and may have been waiting for his arrival.
Police believe that Dutta was carrying a firearm at the time of the incident. Investigators suspect that the weapon was snatched before he was shot at close range. The motive behind the attack and the exact nature of the dispute between the groups are yet to be established.
Officers from Dum Dum Police Station reached the spot after receiving information about the firing and shifted the injured to hospital. Police said Dutta had a long history of involvement in criminal activities and are probing whether the incident was linked to previous disputes. Efforts are also underway to trace the route used by the assailants to flee the scene.
Senior officers, including Samir Ahmad, Deputy Commissioner (South) of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, visited the crime scene as the investigation gathered pace.
(IANS)
