BARASAT: The main accused in the brutal murder of a college student in North 24 Parganas district, was arrested on Wednesday from Rampurhat in Birbhum district, police said. Shyamal Karmaka was arrested from Rampurhat in the early hours of today and is being interrogated, North 24 Parganas Additional Superintendent of Police Bhashkar Mukherjee said.
A total of nine persons, including Karmakar's sister, have so far been arrested, he said. Amal Barui and Bhuban Saha, who were members of the group of people who killed the 21-year-old student, Sourav Chowdhury, were arrested yesterday.
During interrogation, the duo revealed that they had kidnapped Sourav from near his home and strangled him before hitting him on the head with a heavy object on July 5. The body was then thrown between Duttapukur and Bamungachi railway stations. Five persons were arrested in this connection on July 7 last. Among the five was Polly Maity, the sister of Shyamal Karmakar. She was arrested for giving shelter to the accused. Anup Talukdar, one of the accused named in the FIR, was arrested in a raid on July 6.
Sourav was killed for starting a drive against hooch dens in the area allegedly run by Karmakar. Karmakar had fled from the area after the crime and put up in a hotel at Tarapith in Birbhum district, a pilgrim spot, the Additional SP said.
On receiving information about his hideout from a source, the police rushed to the hotel last night and found that he had escaped, Mukherjee said. To seal his exit routes, the police alerted the GRP personnel at Rampurhat station, the nearest station from Tarapith. Karmakar was arrested from the station by the GRP and North 24 Paragans police while he was waiting for a train, Mukherjee said.