Bengal not easy shelter for criminals, says commissioner of Kolkata Police, Manoj Verma
Telegraph | 30 January 2025
The commissioner of Kolkata Police, Manoj Verma, on Tuesday said the seizure of arms from the heart of the city does not indicate criminals are getting easy shelter in Bengal.
Verma was speaking on the arrest of five men from Uttar Pradesh, who were allegedly found in possession of two guns, one of which was a semi-automatic pistol, and 15 rounds of ammunition.
Last November, a group of men — most of them from Bihar — were arrested in connection with the attempt to shoot Trinamool Congress councillor Sushanta Ghosh in Kasba, south Calcutta.
The incident raised questions about whether the city had become a safe den for criminals from other states who would stay here for long periods, often until being caught in connection with a crime.
Referring to the arrest of the five men at Sealdah on Monday night, Verma said: “A gang from UP has been caught here. They had arms and ammunition. Their exact motive is under investigation. But as they were found in possession of arms and ammunition, it is obvious they came here to commit some crime.”
“Criminals move from one place to another. Criminals from other states are only coming to Bengal, that is not correct.”
He said the police have been tracking criminals even outside Bengal. “Action is taken when a lead matures,” the top cop said.
The five, aged between 20 and 30, had come to Calcutta last week and were staying at a hotel in central Calcutta, the police said.
The five were identified as Shivshankar Yadav, 26, Rahul Yadav, 27, Aditya Maurya, 20, Devank Gupta, 24, and Rukesh Sahani, 30. All are from Uttar Pradesh.
Of the five, one is a BTech and another an MCom. At least two of the rest are graduates.
“All of them are educated. We seized a semi-automatic gun, a single shot, 15 rounds of ammunition and a 26cm knife from them. They have not been able to give any explanation for the possession of such dangerous weapons,” said Rupesh Kumar, acting joint commissioner, crime, Kolkata Police.
One of the seized guns has a “Made in Italy” stamp on it, Kumar said.
According to the findings of a preliminary investigation, Sahani was leading the team.
All five were produced before the Sealdah court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody till February 9. They have been charged under non-bailable sections of the Arms Act.
The cops said they had emailed the police stations in whose areas the homes of the accused are located, seeking details about them and whether they had any criminal records.
The easy availability of arms in the city and easy access to professional hit men in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have increased the possibility of the commission of crime by hiring criminals from outside.
“The Kasba incident (the attempted attack on councillor Ghosh) was an eye-opener. So many persons from Bihar were involved in the plot. They meticulously carried out a recce in Calcutta before planning the attack,” the officer said.
Ghosh was talking to his acquaintances near his home in Kasba’s Rajdanga on November 15 when two men arrived riding a scooter. The pillion rider got off the vehicle and aimed a gun at Ghosh.
The gun apparently malfunctioned and no shots were fired. The man tried to flee but was caught by eyewitnesses.
All members of the gang, including one who had fled to Dubai, were arrested.