CCTV shows murdered trader at bar

KOLKATA: Murdered transporter Sheikh Mohammad Salauddin had spent hours in a bar on VIP Road, close to Rajarhat-New Town, along with several others. CCTV footage of the bar shows him at the bar till 3am with at least two girls, say police.
Salauddin was shot between 4.40am and 5am on Monday near Salt Lake Tank No 13. With three bullet injuries, he somehow drove to Ultadanga police station where he identified himself and collapsed.He died minutes later.
On Tuesday, police said that Salauddin was a member of the bar-cum night club and frequent went there with his friends. CCTV cameras caught him on the dance floor of the club till 3am with the girls. "It is not clear that whether they left the bar soon after 3am or spent more time there because the camera does not cover other portions of the bar,' said an investigator.
While his presence in the bar provides police an explanation why he was in Salt Lake, police are still in the dark about the motive of the murder. Salauddin's family has lodged a complaint against Nayeem, a neighbour and owner of a transport company. The family alleges that Salauddin had a bitter relationship with Nayeem. "Once he had even tried to assault Salauddin and threatened him with dire consequences," said his elder brother.
Police, however, are focusing more on the people who spent time with Salauddin at the bar and soon after. Police identified the bar from a bill they found in his blood-splattered Honda City. While the CCTV footage could not confirm whether he left alone, some employees of the bar reportedly told police that a woman was spotted with Salauddin in his car as he drove away. "He entered the bar around midnight," said another officer.
Police are yet to fix the spot where he was shot. On Tuesday investigators once again went to Tank No 13 and questioned people in the area but no one could provide a single clue, said joint CP (crime) Damayanti Sen. Police feel that after leaving the bar, Salauddin took Rajarhat-New Town Road and entered Salt Lake. But then his usual route was via Chingrihata. Salauddin had no need to enter Salt Lake. Did he go to the township to drop someone off? Police are now looking for the answer, which they believe holds the key to the mystery.
Investigators said that the quality of the CCTV footage is very poor and it is difficult to identify the women with Salauddin. Sources hinted that the women are regulars at the bar. Police are yet to determine the sequence of the murder itself. Circumstantial evidence suggests that Salauddin was in the driving seat and the assailant was either beside him or shot him from outside the car but at a close range. If it is true, the two bullets which went through his left rib cage and exited the body should be inside the car but no bullet holes or shrapnel has been found. "We have asked forensic experts to thoroughly search the car," said an investigator.
In search of the missing links, police are looking for the woman with whom Salauddin spent the last few hours of his life.