Trinamool leader shot dead in West Bengal's Murshidabad

Kolkata, Oct 16 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Baharampur in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Wednesday after a local Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead.

The deceased was identified as Pradip Dutta.

Police said that Dutta was out on a morning walk when unidentified assailants fired at him.

"The assailants fired seven bullets from a close range at Dutta," said a district police official.

After hearing firing shots, locals came out of their residence and found Dutta profusely bleeding. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but declared dead on arrival.

A huge police contingent from the Baharampur Police Station reached the spot, he said.

The police were investigating whether the murder was a political crime or enmity.

The body had already been sent for post-mortem.

The CCTV camera footage was being examined to identify the assailants.

"At the same time, we are also questioning the local people to get more information about the event," said the district police official.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident at Domkal, also in Murshidabad district, a person was killed on Wednesday morning following the explosion of a crude bomb. The impact of the explosion was such that the body of the victim was blown up into pieces. The victim has been identified as Momin Mondal.

Police have sent the body parts for post-mortem and started an investigation into the matter.

District police sources said that the explosion probably took place while the victim was engaged in the process of assembling crude bombs.

The police sources said that the family members of the victim have admitted his criminal antecedents. They have also admitted that the victim was hired from time to time for assembling crude bombs.