Two-and-a-half-year-old Debu weeps at his maternal uncle’s home in the port area on Sunday. Picture by Amit Datta

A man raided his in-laws’ house in the port area to take away his two-and-a-half-year-old son and on being refused, hit his brother-in-law on the head and fired at him.

The bullet, however, missed the target. The man managed to flee, but two of his accomplices and the driver of the taxi in which they came and were trying to escape were caught.

The incident took place on Sunday morning at BNR Quarters’ Complex, which houses the residences of senior railway officials and Railway Protection Force personnel.

Around 11am, Sudhama Sekha, a railway employee posted in Asansol, turned up at his in-laws’ home with the two accomplices in a taxi. “We last saw him five months ago, when our daughter died and he handed over his son, Debu, to us. He said he would not take the responsibility of the child,” said Sudhama’s mother-in-law Laxmi Sekha.

A single-shot revolver tucked into his waistband, Sudhama told the family members that he would buy some clothes for Debu and for that, he would take the child out with him.

“But we could sense his motive was suspicious and did not allow him to come near Debu. We asked him to come with a court order if he wanted to take his child back,” said Reena, Sudhama’s sister-in-law.

Sudhama suddenly took out his firearm and aiming it at Nagesh Rao, Reena’s husband, shouted: “Bachha mujhe de do, nehi to yaha pe sab ko mar dunga (Give me the child, or else I will kill all of you).”

Reena then quickly took Debu into a room. “Before bolting the door, I saw Sudhama aiming the gun at my husband. Moments later, I heard a gunshot,” Reena recalled.

According to Laxmi, Sudhama hit Nagesh on the head with the butt of the firearm. “As blood was oozing out, Nagesh caught Sudhama’s hand. A scuffle ensued, during which my son-in-law pulled the trigger.”

Sudhama and his accomplices realised they were in trouble. “He dropped the firearm into a drain and ran away. Our neighbours chased him, but he proved faster. The other two men got into the taxi in which they came, but could not speed off. The two and the driver were caught.”

Police suspect the driver was a party to Sudhama’s plan. “He was waiting with the engine on. Perhaps he knew he would have to speed off with the trio and the child,” said the deputy commissioner (headquarters), P.K. Chatterjee.