kolkata an influential businessman was shot dead by a bike gang at the gates of the botanical garden in shibpur howrah when he was walking with his wife and daughter on thursday night fortyeightyearold babu bagchi was attacked near a bus stand when the last passengers were still around the family was returning home around 1010pm with shopping bags full of gifts when four men on two bikes stopped a few metres from gate no 1 of the garden bagchi was walking with his daughter and his wife was a few steps ahead none of them suspected anything as bagchi came within pointblank range the pillion riders drew pistols and shot him in the head and chest he died instantly but his daughter escaped injury witnesses say the bikers sped off after the shooting they were all wearing helmets not a common thing in howrah at night bagchi owns a timber business and his word carried weight in the area the murder triggered tension in the area and snap protests started on several roads leading to the deployment of the raf police are not sure if business rivalry or his political connections led to the murder