Criminals shoot contractor in Patna

PATNA: In yet another pointer to the growing public perception that police are no longer as strong a deterrent agency as they used to be till recently, criminals rained bullets and bomb on a contractor near a hotel in the busy Buddha Murti roundabout area at Kadamkuan in the state capital in broad daylight on Monday, the day police bundobust was supposed to be heavy for the opposition-sponsored bandh against Madhubani police firing.
The deceased was identified as Ashok Kumar Gupta, 49. Police said he had criminal antecedents details of which were being gathered. His friend Babloo has been detained for interrogation.
Pintoo Singh, who works as guard at a hotel nearby, said he heard three fire shots and two explosions. "I came out and found a man lying on the road with blood oozing out of his head and smoke all around. I also saw five persons fleeing towards Buddha Murti roundabout after which I downed the hotel's shutter," he said.
Eyewitnesses recalled Babloo moving in the area on a mobike with Ashok riding pillion around 9.15am. Suddenly, five persons coming from behind fired three rounds at Ashok. While he fell off the motorcycle, the assailants exploded two bombs and escaped. Ashok was rushed to a private hospital where he was declared brought dead.
As the news reached Ashok's house at Lohanipur, his family members came to the hospital and thrashed Babloo. They said it was he who invited Ashok for breakfast in a hotel and he was killed while coming out of the hotel. "We suspect Babloo's hand in the killing," one of them said.
Babloo runs rickshaws and 'thelas'. Ashok's family members and neighbours damaged several of his rickshaws and 'thelas' at the Rajendra Nagar flyover. Later, DSP (town) Manoj Tiwary and Kadamkuan police station SHO Sanjay Kumar reached the spot and pacified the mob.