Real Estate Dealer Shot In Kolkata, Locals Suspect "Syndicate Raj"

A real estate dealer was shot in Kolkata on Saturday morning while he was showing potential clients some apartments for sale in an under-construction building.

The incident took place in the South Dum Dum civic area, not far from Nagerbazar where a bomb blast on October 2 killed an eight year old boy on the spot and two others died in hospital.

Panchu Roy, chairman of South Dum Dum Municipality, said, "It's nothing new. There is a lot of construction going on here, lot of investment coming in. If you think such things won't happen, then you are living in a utopia."

Real estate dealer Shekhar Poddar was showing the group of clients a four-storey under construction building around 11 am when two motorcycle-borne men shot at him.

"They sounded like firecrackers," said a local resident, "but when we stepped out of our house to see, I saw two men drive away in a motorcycle and they had guns in their hands."

Mr Poddar was hit in his right hand and rushed to hospital.

The police say they are investigating who the attackers were but locals suspect it is the fallout of "syndicate raj".

"Maybe Mr Poddar did not buy sand and cement and stone chips from the local people when he built the building. Now they are taking revenge," said a local resident, requesting not to be named.

The chairman of the South Dum Dum Municipality however did not beat about the bush, calling it "utopian" to expect such incidents will not take place.

On October 2, when a bomb explosion at the Nagerbazar area killed a child on the spot, the same chairman, Panchu Roy, claimed he was the target of the bomb attack. He had an office in the building in front of which the blast had taken place.

The local Trinamool Congress MLA Sujit Bose named two people and claimed BJP supporters were behind the firing.