Bihar: Former mukhiya shot at in Bihta, dies during treatment

PATNA: Thumbing their nose on police, unidentified

bike borne armed criminals

shot

Sanjay Ram

while he was sipping tea and reading newspaper in front of his private residence at

Krishna Nagar colony

under

Bihta police station area

in western Patna on Wednesday morning.


He was shot in chest from a very close range. Ram was rushed to a private medical college in

Bihta

where he died during treatment.

The incident took place at around 8.30am. The courage of the criminals could be gauged from the fact that they entered narrow lanes of the densely populated colony and fled without any resistance after shooting Ram. The deceased person was in his mid-40s.

Sources said Ram had been mukhiya of Navahi panchayat in Naubatpur block for at least twice. His wife

Sangeeta Devi

was also a former mukhiya of Navahi.

Sources from Bihta said sitting mukhiya Domani Dev is also from Ram’s camp. They said that Ram was associated with JD(U) and was also involved in property dealing.

The colony is located just behind Uday Chitra Mandir, a cinema hall at whose entrance its owner Nirbhay Singh was shot dead on September 15, 2017. Singh was also president of Bihta traders association.

City SP (west) Abhinav Kumar also went to the spot for investigation after murder.

“I came to know that Ram and his wife were former mukhiyas. I am monitoring the investigation. A special team would be formed soon to arrest accused persons,” Kumar told TOI over phone.

Bihta police station SHO Awadesh Kumar Jha said two criminals on bike had reached at the spot to kill Ram.

“While they were fleeing, a country made pistol from their possession fell down on road near spot. The firearm had been seized. It would be ascertained only after investigation that if same weapon was used to fire upon Ram or not,” he said.

Jha said police got CCTV camera footages from two different locations in which the shooters could were spotted escaping through a road leading to Bihta Bazaar which further connects Naubatpur block.

SHO Jha said no criminal cases were lodged against Ram and he had a clean image.

“Motive behind murder was yet unknown. He was a political person as well as into property dealing too. Matter would be investigated from all angles,” he said.

Jha said Ram’s body was sent to

Patna Medical College and Hospital

(PMCH) for autopsy. “Police were waiting to receive a written application to register an FIR,” he said.

Sources from Bihta and Navahi said notorious criminals Manoj Singh or Pappu Singh’s involvement is suspected in Ram’s killing and prime reason might be that his enemies wanted to end his political supremacy.

While Manoj is notorious criminal from Naubatpur, Pappu is from Bihta and was also main conspirator in Nirbhay’s murder case.