Raju Jha murder case: Four-member forensic team visits murder spot in Bardhaman, collects samples

The team also collected samples from a blue car that used by the assailants as well as a white car in which 53-year-old Jha, who hailed from Durgapur, was killed. No arrest has been made in the case so far.

The forensic team had earlier collected at least 13 empty bullet shells from the spot, officials said. Jha was purportedly seen in a car belonging to another coal smuggler Adbul Latif, who according to the CBI, is absconding. Sources said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently summoned Latif who had sought time to appear in Delhi on health grounds.

Jha’s aide Brathin Mukherjee, who sustained injuries in the firing, is still critical. Locals claimed that four-five rounds were fired in the shootout. Raju was sitting on the seat next to the driver’s.

Both Raju and Brathin were taken to hospital where doctors declared Raju “brought dead”. Jha, who was into hotel business, had joined the BJP ahead of the last Assembly elections in 2021. He was also arrested in a coal smuggling case by the police.