Patna hospital murder: 5 arrested, 5 detained in Kolkata; hunt on for prime accused

Kolkata: Police on Saturday night detained five persons, including a woman, from a guest house in the city's Anandapur area in connection with the murder of gangster Chandan Mishra in a Patna hospital, hours after arresting five persons in the same case, an officer said.

Earlier in the day, a joint team of Bihar Police and West Bengal STF had arrested five persons from New Town here in the same case.

Among those found in the guest house, one suspect sustained leg injuries and was taken away in an ambulance, the officer added.

The guest house has been cordoned off by police who are conducting a search inside the rooms where the five were staying.

"These persons have been taken to Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar for questioning. We are still not sure whether any of these people were directly involved in the killing of Mishra," the police officer said.

Earlier, the prime suspects — believed to be hiding in Kolkata — managed to escape, prompting a fresh manhunt.

CCTV footage reportedly shows a white SUV carrying five persons — suspected to be the main perpetrators — driving through the Basanti Highway and passing through Anandapur, Kolkata Leather Complex, and Bhangar jurisdictions.

"The SUV with five persons, probably the prime suspects, has been caught on the CCTV footage passing the Basanti Highway and entering the city," the police officer said.

Officers from three police stations — Anandapur, Kolkata Leather Complex and Bhangar — were looking for them in their respective jurisdictions, suspecting that the criminals were hiding somewhere there, he added.

Meanwhile, police are questioning the five arrested accused, who were living in two separate flats in the housing complex in New Town area, the officer said, adding that their mobile phones and other documents have been seized.

During the raid conducted around 5.40 am, one person was arrested from a place outside the housing complex, and after questioning him, four others were held from inside two flats, he said.

"These people possibly helped the criminals to hide besides arranging vehicles for them. We are checking their call lists, WhatsApp messenger chats in connection with our probe into the matter," the officer said.

Mishra, a resident of Buxar district of Bihar, was shot dead by gunmen inside a private hospital in Patna on Thursday morning. He was a murder convict out on parole.

"Their mobile phone tower location helped us track them. The Bihar Police will produce them before a local court, seeking transit remand," he said.

A purported CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed five armed men entering the ICU of the hospital and opening fire at Mishra.

Mishra was lodged at Beur Jail and had gone to the hospital for treatment on parole, police said, adding, he was involved in 24 criminal cases, including over 12 murder cases.

SP Patna (Central) Diksha had told PTI on Friday that a probe is underway as to how the criminals managed to reach the room where Mishra was admitted without any security check.

"This raises serious questions over the security arrangements at the hospital. Five unmasked armed assailants reached the second floor, opened fire at Mishra, and fled the premises. Investigators are certainly looking into any complicity that may have led to the security lapse," she had said.