Kolkata, Dec 28 (IANS): Investigation officers probing the murder of Riya Kumari, who was shot dead at point-blank range by unknown miscreants on Wednesday on the national highway in Howrah district of West Bengal, are smelling some foul play.

State police sources said that foul play has been smelt following the statements given by the victim's husband, Prakash Kumar, who was driving the car in which Riya Kumari was travelling along with her three-year-old daughter.

Sources that that as per Prakash Kumar's statement the murder took place at around 6 a.m. on Wednesday while they were travelling to Kolkata from Ranchi and when he had stopped his vehicle near the Mahishrekha bridge at Bagnan under Uluberia sub- division of Howrah district to answer to nature's call.

As per his version, after he stopped his vehicle three miscreants attacked them with firearms with snatching intention and on being resisted one miscreant shot at Riya Kumari from point- blank range, which ultimately became the cause of her death.

This particular statement, as the investigating officers, has lots of coincidence factors and prompts certain questions. "The first question is how the miscreants came to know that Prakash Kumar will stop his vehicle at that secluded point near the Mahishrekha bridge. The second question is whether in that case their vehicle was being chased by the miscreants to which Prakash Kumar has no clue. The third question is that the point where Prakash Kumar claimed to have stopped the car is not an ideal place for parking even if it is for a limited period because of the secluded nature of the spot," the sources said.

"It is possible that he might be telling the truth and the sequence of events was merely coincidental. It is also possible that there might be some foul- play in the event.

"The investigating officers are also trying to find whether there are CCTVs installed in that area to have further clues," a state police official said.