Investigation officers probing the murder of actress Riya Kumari -- who was shot dead at point-blank range by unknown miscreants -- on Wednesday on the national highway at the Howrah district of West Bengal, are smelling foul play.
Sources at the police forces claim that many things were found amiss following the statements given by the victim’s husband, Prakash Kumar, who was driving the car in which Riya Kumari was travelling along with her three-year-old daughter.
Sources claim as per Prakash Kumar’s statement the murder took place at around 6 am on Wednesday while they were travelling to Kolkata from Ranchi and when he had stopped his vehicle near the Mahishrekha bridge at Bagnan under Uluberia sub- division of Howrah district to relieve himself.
As per his version, after he stopped his vehicle, three miscreants attacked them with firearms hoping to snatch their valuables. And, on being resisted, one miscreant shot at Riya Kumari from point- blank range, which ultimately became the cause of her death.
The statement has raised many questions and the authorities aren’t fully convinced, claim the sources.
“The first question is how the miscreants came to know that Prakash Kumar will stop his vehicle at that secluded point near the Mahishrekha bridge. The second question is whether in that case their vehicle was being chased by the miscreants to which Prakash Kumar has no clue. The third question is that the point where Prakash Kumar claimed to have stopped the car is not an ideal place for parking even if it is for a limited period because of the secluded nature of the spot,” the sources said.
“It is possible that he might be telling the truth and the sequence of events was merely coincidental. It is also possible that there might be some foul- play in the event.
“The investigating officers are also trying to find whether there are CCTVs installed in that area to get further clues,” a state police official said.
