More than 24 hours after a trader was shot dead here, the city police were still clueless by Thursday evening about the identities and the motive of the assailants.
On the other hand, shops and godowns in the biggest wholesaling market at Malgodown downed their shutters throughout on Thursday as a mark of respect for pulses trader Mohammed Farooq, who was shot dead by three unidentified assailants on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are feeling very unsafe to open our shops in the backdrop of such coldblooded firings on our ilk,” said joint secretary of Malgodown traders’ association Prakash Naik, adding that the manner in which the assailants are escaping unopposed after firing and police not getting any clue about them is actually “bizarre”.
Unless adequate security is provided to traders in Malgodown, many would think of to wind up their businesses in the city, said another terrified trader. Meanwhile, a special squad of the city police is learnt to have raided several places in the city and outside in search of the assailants. A senior police officer said certain evidences have been gathered, which would throw some light on the identities of the assailants.