Judge's bodyguard found dead with bullet wound at Bankshall Court

At around 7:00 AM on Wednesday, a police officer assigned as a security guard to the judge of the 8th Bench, City Civil Court, was found dead with a bullet wound inside the Bankshall City Civil Court premises. Identified as Gopal Nath, a Special Branch officer from Malda, he was discovered seated on a chair with a gunshot wound to his forehead near the ground floor staircase of the court building in the Hare Street Police Station area. His 9mm service pistol was found beside him. The sound of gunfire alerted people nearby, who informed security personnel. Police teams arrived at the location and cordoned off the area for investigation.

Multiple investigative units, including the Detective Department, Scientific Wing, Fingerprint Analysis Team, Central Armory Team, and Traffic Police, were deployed to the scene. The body was sent to Kolkata Medical College for a post-mortem examination. Officials are analyzing CCTV footage from the premises and questioning security staff and others present at the time. The recovered firearm is undergoing forensic examination to verify whether it was used in the shooting. Authorities are also reviewing service records and recent duty logs of the deceased officer. No suicide note has been recovered so far.

Following the incident, security measures at the court complex were tightened. Police officers were seen patrolling the premises, and additional personnel were stationed at key entry points. The courtroom assigned to the judge of the 8th Bench operated as scheduled, while investigative procedures continued. The exact cause and circumstances of the death are still under investigation, and further updates will follow based on forensic and police findings.