A special operations group of Baruipur police arrested 11 people in connection with the Jaynagar shootout that killed three Thursday night. Meanwhile, the CID said it has taken over the investigation in the case. Advertising Police sources said four persons were arrested on Thursday night on the basis of CCTV footage from the petrol pump where the incident occurred. The deceased include the driver of Trinamool Congress Jaynagar MLA Biswanath Das, an associate and a third person who was not identified. The MLA has alleged that he was the target of the killers, and that he had only gotten down from the vehicle “minutes before” the incident. A case was registered under various IPC sections including murder. “We have taken up the case,” said DIG, CID (Operations), Nishat Parvez. Police said the four accused who were identified through CCTV footage revealed other names during interrogation, which led to the other seven arrests. “Some have been arrested after examining CCTV footage. Raids are on to nab others,” said a police officer. At least 12 people are suspected to have been involved in the attack. Prima facie, eight are from Sangrampur while the rest from Jaynagar, said sources. Investigating officials are conducting raids in both the areas. Sources added the attack was likely planned, but the target has not yet been ascertained. Those arrested include Abdul Gaffar Molla, S Laskar, Ashish Haldar, Sajamal Laskar, Manirul Islam Gazi . Advertising Explained CID’s status: Manpower same, workload grows The state government’s handing over of many sensitive cases — often involving a political component — to CID has raised concerns, political and otherwise, from some quarters. In the last four months, CID has taken over at least four major probes — the Nagerbazar blast, Islampur shootings, rotten meat supply racket and the death of two BJP workers in Purulia in July. This has prompted the Opposition to accuse the TMC of misusing the agency for its own agenda. The ruling party has denied this. A law enforcement source said it was also a matter for concern that the CID’s workload is increasing while its manpower stays the same. The police, meanwhile, is restricted to dealing with routine cases, said the source. Sources said senior police officers also visited the site of the incident, where two bombs had been defused by a CID bomb squad Friday. The police said they are yet to ascertain the motive. “It could be a fallout of differences between two rival groups involving anti-socials,” the officer said. A staffer of the petrol pump who was present when the incident occurred said, “We saw only two people inside the vehicle. I was too scared to step out. Two died inside while one person was lying on the floor. Bombs were hurled one after another.” ‘War of words’ Meanwhile, a group of TMC workers protested outside their office when party district president Subhashish Chakraborty was holding an emergency meeting with local leaders over the shooting incident. Sources said the protest was led by a supporter of MLA Das, who allegedly beat up a supporter of local TMC leader Gaur Sarkar. Das was, at the time, meeting SP Ajay Prasad. Some workers who protested outside the local TMC office accused Sarkar of being behind the shooting incident. To which Sarkar replied, “Whoever is alleging this are all close confidants of the MLA, who is an extortionist. I challenge them to establish my involvement in the incident.” Das said it was up to the police to determine who was behind the incident. “I I don’t see any factional feud in my area,” he said. Subhashish too denied that there was any factional feud. Responding to allegations of a factional feud, a PTI report quoted state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee as saying, “We are the target of those people who want to create disturbances in the state, for those who had been rejected by the masses in earlier elections. They foment trouble, then conjure up the theory of factional feud to shift responsibility to others”.

Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.