Malda teen held for shooting friend while making reel
Times of India | 23 November 2024
Malda: An 18-year-old was arrested in Malda's Kaliachak on Friday for shooting his friend while making a reel for social media.
Locals in Srirampur heard a gunshot on Thursday morning and rushed to the home of Samiul Islam (18) to find him lying in a pool of blood. The Class VIII student had been shot in the head. Police were informed and Samiul was rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
During a search of the house, police found a firearm along with bloodstained clothes and bedsheets. Samiul's father, Rajikul Islam, then lodged an FIR blaming his son's friend, Safi Ali, for the death. Safi was arrested on Friday, police said.
Cops said while arresting Safi, they seized one countrymade improvised gun and a phone. The investigation revealed that Samiul and Safi had been making a reel for which they were posing with a 7mm pistol.
A senior police officer said: "Safi claims that first Samiul took aim and pulled the trigger. The gun didn't go off. He says he was under the impression that the gun had no bullets and, like Samiul, he could also pose while pulling the trigger. He claims that the gun then went off, killing Samiul."
Police said they had seized the teenagers' cellphones, which contained videos they had recorded with firearms.
On further interrogation, Safi confessed that he and other associates were engaged in an illegal firearms and ammunition business. Police are looking for the source of the weapons. Cops also said they were circumspect about Safi's version of events "given his antecedents".
Safi was produced before a Malda court on Friday and sent to police custody until Nov 29.