TMC leader tried to kill me: Rambabu

KHARAGPUR: Kharagpur strongman Basab Rambabu on Wednesday blamed Trinamool Congress district youth president Debasish Chowdhury for instigating the attack on him on Monday which left two persons, including a bystander, critically injured. Rambabu claimed that the attack by Srinu Naidu's henchmen was actually engineered by Chowdhury. When contacted, the Trinamool leader said: "I won't react on allegations made by a gangster." Trinamool Youth Congress state president Subhendu Adhikary, too, refused to comment on the issue.
The shoot-out near Midnapore town left an aide of Rambabu, C H Venkat Rao, 51, and bystander Krishnakanta Ray critically injured on Monday morning rekindling fears of the notorious railway-mafia in Kharagpur raising its ugly head
. Rambabu was returning after a mandatory appearance at Midnapore court when his "convoy" came under fire at Mohanpur bordering Kharagpur
. Rambabu's SUV, however, managed to whiz past the hail of bullets. Police suspect the attackers were henchmen of Naidu - an emerging gangster - desperate to get a toehold on Rambabu's turf.
Rambabu alleged that he had told police that he knew his attackers. "I have named five people in the FIR," he said. "Srinu is extorting people here for nine years. But it is Chowdhury who is behind all these. Can he explain how a person without any known source of income amasses so much property?" Rambabu asked. "I was asked to pay up Rs 3 crore and they told me that otherwise Trinamool will not spare me. Are all these a fallout for not following their diktat?" he said.
West Midnapore SP Praveen Tripathy said, "The matter is being investigated." Police said of the five people named in the FIR, Banshikrishna has been arrested. Rambabu, granted bail by the Supreme Court, is facing trial for the murders of former CPI MP Narayan Chowbey's two sons - Goutam and Manas. Gautam, a Trinamool leader, was shot at a temple
in Kharagpur on September 11, 2001. Manas, who had joined Congress, was killed in Kharagpur on June 27, 1999. This morning, Rambabu was in court in connection with the Uday Maity murder case in 1997.
One of Kharagpur's most feared dons, Rambabu was allegedly close to CPM initially. After the murder of Citu leader in 1998 he shifted allegiance to Forward Bloc. He was arrested inon November 3,
2001 from Hyderabad. On June 10, 2005, a Midnapore court awarded life imprisonment to Rambabu for his involvement in the case.
Debasish alias Munmun, was a four-time councillor loosing only in the 2010 civic polls. There are over 40 criminal cases - ranging from murder to attempt-to-murder - against him. He was initially with the CPM and later joined Congress. In 2000, he joined Trinamool.