A TMC worker, Santosh Yadav, was shot dead in broad daylight in the Gauripur area of Naihati police station in North 24 Parganas district on Friday afternoon.

According to the police, the incident occurred around 3:55 pm when Yadav was allegedly surrounded and was shot repeatedly at close range.

“Santosh Yadav was passing by the Gauripur area when the crime took place. He managed to snatch away the revolver from the first attacker after the initial incident of firing. However, he could not save himself as the other miscreants fired at him four times. One bullet hit him in the head,” a police officer said.

Yadav was declared “brought dead” when taken to the Naihati State General Hospital, he said.

An investigation is underway and a manhunt has been launched to track the culprits, the police officer added.
Following the incident, the TMC blamed the BJP for the murder of Yadav.

Naihati MLA Sanat Dey alleged that it was a murder by the BJP-backed criminals.

“Santosh Yadav, an active worker of our party was surrounded by 8-10 people. These were hooligans of Arjun Singh, Rajesh Shaw, Chintu Singh, total ten persons are behind his murder. They fired four rounds. He received one bullet on forehead, one on nose and one near collar bone. After Arjun Singh lost in Lok Sabha he had tried his best to kill Yadav,” Dey alleged.

Countering the allegations, BJP leader Arjun Singh from Barrackpore, claimed that the murder was the result of a personal dispute between Yadav and Rajesh Shaw.

“Santosh Yadav had shot at Rajesh Shaw two years ago, he had somehow managed to survive the attack. Shaw and Yadav have personal and family disputes…,” Singh said.