Kolkata rooftop shooting left 36-year-old Rahul Dey dead after a late-night clash, with police arresting four accused and investigating the circumstances behind the attack. (Express Photo)
A 36-year-old man was shot dead following a late-night clash between two rival groups during a rooftop gathering attended by several people in Kolkata in the early hours of Thursday.
According to the Kolkata police, the victim has been identified as Rahul Dey.
They said all the accused have been identified, and four have been arrested. Those taken into custody are Deep Roy, 33, alias Pukai; Bidhan Banerjee, 27; Raja Banik, 36; and Jayanto Ghosh.
Rupesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said the Patuli Police Station received information regarding a tussle on the top floor of a building in Purba Phool Bagan.
“On reaching the spot, two people were found injured. Both were taken to the hospital. Rahul Dey was declared dead with a bullet injury to his head. The other victim, Jeet, has a cut injury on the head with a grazing bullet injury. He is stable,” said Kumar.
The incident occurred in Ward No 101 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
According to the police, Jeet said in his statement that they were consuming alcohol on the roof when a few people came and assaulted them, which resulted in the death of Rahul Dey alias Bumbla and injury to Jeet.
“Preliminary information indicates that the dispute was over gambling money in the Panchpota area of Narendrapur,” a police officer said.
While local sources claimed that Dey is a Trinamool Congress worker, neither the police nor the TMC has issued a statement on the issue so far.
West Bengal has seen several high-profile shooting cases, many linked to syndicate rivalries or political tensions.
One of the most brazen incidents occurred in Howrah on February 25, when a 27-year-old real-estate promoter, Shafique Khan, was shot dead in broad daylight.
Captured on CCTV, two assailants approached Khan near a tea stall in the Golabari area and fired multiple rounds at point-blank range. The case quickly turned political after videos surfaced allegedly showing the accused riding pillion with a local MLA Goutam Chowdhury, sparking a heated debate.
Similarly, in September 2025, the Gulshan Colony area near the EM Bypass turned into a virtual battlefield for over five hours as the gang of a local tough, “Mini” Feroz, used firearms and crude bombs to establish dominance over local trading syndicates.
