murder-accused-escapes-after-shooting-cops-in-n-dinajpur-wb

In a reel-life-like sequence of events in North Dinajpur district on Wednesday afternoon, a murder case accused, who wrapped himself in a blanket, took out a firearm and shot two policemen guarding him before he escaped.

 

The policemen, an assistant sub-inspector and a constable, failed to chase the man on the run as they slumped to the ground after bullets hit their abdomen.

 

The incident similar to a Bollywood crime thriller took place when the murder accused Sajjad Alam was being brought back to Raiganj jail from Islampur, where he was produced in a court, around 580 km from Kolkata. It is still not clear from where and how Sajjad procured the firearm.

 

Joby Thomas, superintendent of police, North Dinajpur, said after travelling 25 km in a police vehicle, Sajjad, who is an accused in a murder case in 2019, requested the policemen to stop the prison van as he would respond to nature’s call.

 

“The police van stopped at Panjipara, a small market area. Sajjad was taken out of the vehicle by an assistant sub-inspector and a constable. As they walked towards a public lavatory, Sajjad took out a gun that he kept hidden under the blanket, fired three rounds at the two policemen and fled,” said Thomas.

 

The two policemen, Nilkanta Sarkar and Deben Baishya, were first taken to a nearby healthcare centre and later shifted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

 

The daring act raised several questions that remained unanswered till late on Wednesday night.

 

The day was scheduled for Sajjad’s court production. He was brought to the court and was being taken back to the jail with other accused.

 

“He spent nearly seven hours in the court lock-up before being produced before the magistrate. There is a high possibility that Sajjad had procured the firearm when he was in the court lock-up. In the court lock-up, relatives and associates of the accused come to meet them. It is possible that Sajjad collected the gun from those whom he met in the lock-up,” said a police officer.

 

Thomas said his counterparts in adjoining Bihar were alerted about Sajjad’s escape. “Besides, we are monitoring all CCTV camera footage in the area where the incident took place to get leads about Sajjad’s escape route,” he said.