Kolkata Police are investigating whether a gang that allegedly posed as passengers to rob app-cab drivers was behind the killing of driver and vehicle owner Bhagwanprasad Gupta, whose body was found inside his cab in Entally on Wednesday. Investigators are examining mobile tower records and CCTV footage to reconstruct the vehicle’s route from the northern suburbs to eastern Kolkata.
Gupta’s body was recovered from the cab on DC Dey Road in Entally. Police suspect that he was strangled after being restrained inside the vehicle. His legs were found tied, and investigators believe his mobile phone, wallet, gold chain and ring were taken during the incident.
According to the investigation described by Sangbad Pratidin – Kolkata, the cab was seen in the Madhyamgram area until around 10 pm on Tuesday. Police believe two or three passengers may have entered the vehicle there before taking it towards an isolated stretch of Kalyani Expressway. The investigators suspect the driver was attacked after resisting the robbery.
The vehicle was then allegedly driven from the Kalyani Expressway to Entally. Police are trying to establish who drove the cab after Gupta was killed and how the vehicle travelled across the city. The last mobile tower location associated with the driver was reportedly identified near a section of the expressway where there is no CCTV coverage.
Investigators are examining footage from nearby toll points to identify the route taken by the cab. CCTV coverage is also being reviewed around the location in Entally where the vehicle was left. A camera near that spot was reportedly not functioning at the time. Police are examining whether the attackers knew about the gap in surveillance, although that remains part of the investigation.
The case has raised concerns about the vulnerability of app-cab drivers who work alone, particularly when passengers take vehicles towards isolated roads or areas with limited surveillance. However, police have not established that a specific gang was responsible. Their current inquiry is focused on a suspected robbery group operating in the northern suburbs and whether its members were involved in the killing.
The investigation will depend on matching the vehicle’s movements with tower data, toll-plaza CCTV and footage from other points along the route. Police are also working to identify the passengers who may have boarded the cab in Madhyamgram and to determine how the stolen belongings were handled after the incident. The probe is continuing.
