Howrah, Nov 28 : A TMC gram panchayat member was shot dead and his associate critically injured after unidentified assailants opened fire at them in West Bengal’s Howrah late on Thursday night, police said.
The victim, Debobrata Mondal, alias Babu Mondal, a member of the Sampuipara-Basukathi gram panchayat, was returning home around 11 pm on a motorcycle with his associate Anupam Rana when the attack took place near the Nishchinda-Buro Shibtala area under Liluah police station limits, a senior police officer said on Friday.
According to police, two motorcycle-borne assailants approached them and fired several rounds at close range.
Mondal was hit in the waist and shoulder and collapsed on the spot, while Anupam sustained bullet injuries when he tried to resist the attackers.
Local residents rushed both men to Belur State General Hospital.
Mondal was later shifted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, where he succumbed to his injuries, hospital sources said.
Anupam, who was taken to a private hospital in North Howrah, remains in critical condition.
Howrah Police Commissioner Praveen Tripathy visited the spot with a team soon after the incident.
“A case of murder has been registered. We are examining CCTV camera footage, and efforts are being made to trace the accused,” he said.
Senior Trinamool Congress leaders, including Howrah District (Sadar) president and MLA Goutam Chowdhury, MLA Kalyan Ghosh, and Domjur Youth Trinamool leader Noorj Molla, visited the hospitals where the victims were taken.
MLA Ghosh said the motive behind the attack was still unclear and demanded the immediate arrest of those involved.
Police sources said at least five rounds were fired during the assault.
A history-sheeter, Suman Choudhury, who has previous cases of extortion and attempted murder against him, has emerged as a person of interest in the probe.
The killing has heightened tensions in the area ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with some local TMC workers alleging the involvement of a man known as Basu, though police said all angles were being investigated. (PTI)
