Hardware trader’s murder sparks protest, road blockade in Sheohar

Patna: An irate mob blocked the road at Basantpatti Chowk under Purnahiya police station area in Sheohar district on Wednesday, raising slogans against the police and demanding immediate arrest of killers, following the murder of a hardware trader on Tuesday night. Bike-borne criminals shot dead Samod Sah (49) near Basantpatti Chowk. The assailants firt fired at him and then stabbed him multiple times before fleeing.

Samod Sah, a resident of Bakhar Chandihia village in Purnahiya, owned a hardware and electronics shop at Basantpatti market. His family runs three shops there—one each by Sah, his elder brother and Purnahiya block pramukh Pramod Sah, and their father.

Sheohar SDPO Anushil Kumar said, “On Tuesday night, Samod was returning home on his bike after closing his shop when criminals, who were lying in wait at a deserted stretch between Basantpatti market and Chandiha, surrounded him and opened fire. They also attacked him with a knife and left him bleeding on the road.”

He said that locals rushed the critically injured trader to a private hospital in Sitamarhi, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. “Family members and locals staged a protest by burning tyres at Basantpatti Chowk, demanding the immediate arrest of the killers. A police team reached the spot and pacified the agitating mob,” he added.

Sah is survived by his wife, Sangeeta Devi, a former govt teacher who left her job due to illness, and two sons. His elder son, Pushpak Bharti (18), studies in Noida and is returning home after receiving news of his father’s death. His younger son, Mani (14), studies in Class IX in Sheohar. His elder brother Pramod is undergoing treatment in Patna after fracturing his leg in a road accident three days ago.

“Police are probing all angles, including personal enmity or a robbery attempt. CCTV footage from the area is being examined to identify the assailants,” the SDPO added.