Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS): The West Bengal police investigating the murder of Trinamool Congress councilor Dulal Sarkar, also known as Babla, have recovered the firearms used in the crime. Sarkar, who represented Ward 22 of the English Bazar Municipality in Malda district, was killed on January 2.

State police sources revealed that a 9 mm pistol and two country-made single-shot pistols were recovered on Friday afternoon.

“In addition, seven live cartridges and the clothes worn by the assassins during the murder were also seized. The recovery of these items is crucial for building a strong case,” a senior police official stated.

The Malda district police have been under immense pressure since Sarkar's murder to solve the case.

Shortly after the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had criticised the district police, particularly District Superintendent Pradeep Kumar Yadav, for their failure to prevent the attack. "Babla had security cover earlier, which was later withdrawn. There are clear lapses on the part of the district police. Babla was with me from the beginning," Mamata Banerjee had said on the day of the murder.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Sarkar’s security was withdrawn following telephonic instructions from a senior state cabinet member to the district superintendent.

Sarkar, a long-time aide of the Chief Minister, was shot on January 2 while standing at a busy intersection in English Bazar. Three helmet-clad assailants arrived on a motorcycle, and one of them opened fire. While the first two shots missed, the third struck Sarkar in the head. He was rushed to Malda Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The attackers had been following him for a few days.

Seven individuals, including Narendra Nath Tiwari, the Malda town president of the Trinamool Congress and the district president of the party’s Hindi cell, have been arrested in connection with the murder