Ashok Shaw, former president of Jagaddal Ward 12, died at BMRC Hospital, where he was taken after he was shot on East Ghosh Para Road at 9.30 am while voting was underway for the neighbouring Naihati bypolls in North 24 Parganas. The place where the incident occurred was a stone’s throw away from the Jagaddal Police Station under the Barrackpore Commissionerate.

“We are investigating. Prima facie, we haven’t found any political connection to the incident. In 2023, there was a similar attack. We’re probing if this incident has any connection to that,” said CP Barrackpore Alok Rajoria.

According to TMC councillor Manoj Kumar Pandey, Shaw was having tea when he was attacked.

“The TMC has been trying its best to restore peace in this area and to a large extent we have been successful, but some miscreants continue to create disturbance,” he said.

Shaw’s mother Meena Devi blamed an “old rivalry”.

“They fired several rounds. At least four of them hit my son. He was rushed to the hospital. It is not even 50 metres away from the police station,” Devi told The Indian Express.

Once known for its jute mills, Barrackpore and its adjoining areas have been increasingly seeing such kinds of violence, with area residents claiming there are open gang-wars on the streets. Last month, some unidentified assailants fired multiple gunshots and threw stones and bombs at BJP MP Arjun Singh’s house here in Jagaddal.

The Barrackpore Police Commissionerate was set up in 2012.