Kolkata: A 42-year-old homemaker and mother of a teenage son, was shot around a kilometre from Behala Chowrasta around 6.20 am on Monday. She was on her usual morning walk close to her residence at Kalipada Mukherjee Road in the Nabaliapara area of Barisha in east Behala, about a kilometre from both Behala Chowrasta and Sakherbazar.
The victim is currently on life support and admitted to SSKM Hospital.
The attacker, Bablu Ghosh (30), was arrested by the Haridevpur Police within three hours of the incident from near the Police Training School close to Hastings while he was trying to flee in a hired car. A preliminary enquiry revealed that the accused, Bablu, was in an affair with the victim after the death of his wife. However, the woman wanted to end the relationship recently, earning the wrath of Bablu and finally leading to this incident.
The incident, occurring in the morning in a middle-class neighbourhood that has recently seen a spurt of housing complexes, sent shock waves through the area. Though cops claimed that only one person was involved in the shootout, onlookers said there were two people who arrived on a bike in the morning, with one of them shooting at the victim.
"The victim was initially taken to MR Bangur Hospital and then to SSKM Hospital.
Accused Bablu has been arrested," said Joint CP (Crime & Traffic) Rupesh Kumar.
It was revealed that Bablu had a poultry business. After his wife passed away nine years ago, he entered into a relationship with the homemaker. Bablu's daughter is also married. Recently, when the victim wanted to end the relationship, citing that her son was growing up, Ghosh resisted. Allegedly, he pressured her to leave her family and live with him separately, but she refused.
Bablu then procured a firearm from one of his many customers and attacked her on Monday morning.
During police questioning, many neighbours mentioned the car that Bablu used to escape. Haridevpur Police posing as a client called the car owner to request a rental car. The owner said the car was currently in Panchla in Howrah. Cops tracked the car's number and sent another team towards Panchla. However, the police team spotted Bablu spotted midway. Near PTS, cops matched the car registration number and stopped the car.
Bablu was found inside, planning to hide in Panchla with his belongings. The entire operation was completed within just three hours, claimed police.