KOLKATA: Montu Mondal, a 33-year-old driver from Banikantha Nagar in Barasat, was travelling in the SUV with Suvedu Adhikari’s close aide Chandranath Rath and driver Buddhadeb Bera when the killers attacked.
Over 48 hours after the incident, his brother Jhantu, a lawyer, said Mondal is still in trauma. He has been subjected to extensive questioning in the past 48 hours. Witnesses reported the operation lasted 50 seconds.
He sat in the rear left side, which saved him as he went unnoticed by the shooters,” Jhantu said. There, he kept honking to seek help,” Jhantu said. Mondal is the only one who escaped unhurt. “My brother worked for Rath. As Rath had to travel long distances, Montu acted as his assistant and even drove the car at times. They were returning when the murder happened. Montu never sat in the front or middle of the SUV. The middle seat was where files were kept. Jhantu claimed Mondal saw a car blocking their path. Then Bera was shot. As the attackers fled, my brother tried calling senior functionaries and also searched for help. But no one came forward and instead shot videos on their phones. Finally, two persons came forward. Montu picked up Bera, who had fallen over, and took both him and Rath to hospital. The SIT probing the assassination has turned its focus towards Mondal and see him as the most crucial witness. Investigators are banking on his detailed testimony to reconstruct the final moments of the assault and to identify the routes and the potential surveillance the victims were under.
“But before the three of them could react, a man on a bike shot five to six bullets at Rath. On Wednesday, they went to the state assembly before going to a party office near Lord Sinha Road.
Mondal slumped into the gap in the seats to avoid the bullets, according to primary rescuer Sushanta Sarkar. hatchback blocked Rath’s SUV while gunmen on bikes opened fire from the left at point-blank range. Witnesses also described him as being in such shock that he initially refused to roll down the car windows until he was certain that those approaching were local residents and not the assailants. Cops are tight-lipped about Mondal’s current whereabouts. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata
The SIT is now scrutinising his account to check if there were any suspicious calls made to Rath before the incident.