Trinamool Leader Gunned Down in Eerie Replay of 2011 Activist Murder
In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through Howrah, a local Trinamool Congress leader and an associate were brutally shot on Thursday night. The attack occurred in the Sapui Para-Basukati area, a location with a dark history, as it is nearly the same spot where green crusader Tapan Dutta was assassinated fourteen years ago.
Close-Range Attack Leaves Two Critical
The victims have been identified as Debabrata Mondal, the head of Sanpui-Basukati panchayat and a prominent Trinamool leader, and local party worker Anupam Rana. The assailants, riding a motorcycle, opened fire at close range around 10:30 pm near Buro Shibtala as the two were returning home from an event.
According to police sources, a total of five rounds were fired. Mondal sustained bullet injuries to his lower abdomen and chest, while Rana was hit in the leg and chest. Both men collapsed on the road, bleeding severely, before locals rushed them to Belur State General Hospital. They were later transferred to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, where they underwent surgery and remain in a critical condition.
Echoes of a Past Assassination
The location and nature of the attack bear an eerie resemblance to the killing of environmental activist Tapan Dutta on May 6, 2011. Dutta was shot dead for his vocal protests against the illegal filling of water bodies in Bally. His murder case, which saw little progress for over a decade, was recently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Adding a complex layer to the story, the latest victim, Debabrata Mondal, was once a follower of Tapan Dutta. However, after the murder, Dutta's wife, Pratima, named Mondal as an alleged co-conspirator in the case. Speaking to the media on Friday, Pratima suggested a sinister motive behind the shooting: "The firing on Debabrata was meant to silence him and cover up the murder of Tapan Dutta, especially since the CBI questioned him around five days ago."
Investigation Underway Amid Political Allegations
Senior police officials, including Howrah police commissioner Praveen Kumar Tripathi, visited the crime scene. Deputy Commissioner (North) Biswa Chand Thakur confirmed that an investigation is ongoing to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from the area and conducting searches at multiple locations.
The incident has also sparked a political blame game. Howrah district Trinamool leader Guddu Khan accused "BJP-backed land sharks" of being behind the attack. He claimed that these elements have been trying to illegally fill wetlands and ponds in the area, and that Mondal had opposed their activities. "They had earlier threatened Debabrata," Khan alleged.
As the two victims fight for their lives in the hospital, the community is left grappling with a sense of déjà vu and the unsettling question of whether justice will ever be served for Tapan Dutta.
