A bullet-riddled body of a Kolkata judge’s security officer was recovered from the premises of the city’s Sessions Court early on Wednesday. The victim, identified as Gopal Nath, was part of the Kolkata Armed Police and was posted as the security officer to the judge of the 8th Bench in the same court.
The body was discovered around 7 am when court employees opened the premises. Nath was found seated on a chair with a gunshot wound on his forehead. He was immediately rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Police from Hare Street police rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. Officers from the Kolkata police detective department’s Homicide section, scientific wing, fingerprint Analysis Team, and Central Armory Team are also assisting in the investigation. Also, a dog squad was brought to the spot to examine.
Police is investigating whether it was murder or suicide as his 9 mm service pistol was recovered from the scene, lying next to his body.
A higher official of Kolkata police said, “He may have committed suicide with the help of his 9mm service pistol, which was lying beside him. Body has been sent for postmortem. The investigation is on. All aspects are being probed.”
“Fingerprint experts have collected samples from the recovered service gun to determine if it bears only Nath’s fingerprints. The discovery of any other fingerprints could significantly shift the direction of the investigation,” sources said.
The body has been sent for autopsy, and the investigation is ongoing.