Mukhiya, cop among 4 killed by criminals in Patna

PATNA: Criminals shot dead four people, including a newly-elected ward member, a new mukhiya and an assistant sub-inspector of police, in two separate incidents under Naubatpur and Barh police station areas in Patna late on Saturday night.
Police sources said poll rivalry was the prime reason for the killings. The dead ward member was identified as Sanjay Verma (48), who was elected from ward number nine of Jamalpur panchayat under the Naubatpur police station area.
He was shot dead near his house in Lodipur village around 11pm.Police said Verma was shot twice in the head and one empty cartridge of 7.65mm was recovered from spot.
At Bajitpur village in Barh, newly-elected Purvi Pandarak panchayat mukhiya Gorelal Yadav alias Priyaranjan (45), ASI Rajesh Kumar (47) posted in Pandarak police station and one Lalbabu Das (50) were attacked by two motorcycle-borne criminals near the gate of a marriage hall around 11.15pm.
Police said the three, who had received bullet injuries, were rushed to Barh sub-divisional hospital. They were later shifted to a private hospital in Agamkuan where the mukhiya and the ASI died. Das died around 1pm on Sunday.
Yadav hailed from Gopkitta and Das from Mamrakhabad villages under the Pandarak police station area and the ASI was from Nawada district.
SHO of Barh police station Sanjeet Kumar said the three had come to the marriage hall to attend wedding of a trader’s daughter.
“The ASI and the mukhiya were standing next to each other at the gate of the wedding venue. Das was also standing nearby when two bike-borne criminals opened fire. They wanted to kill the mukhiya, but the ASI and Das also got shot,” he said.
The SHO added 13 to 15 rounds were fired by the criminals. “People chased the shooters, forcing them to escape by leaving their bike. The criminals wanted to kill mukhiya over a political rivalry,” he added.
Meanwhile, SHO of Naubatpur police station Samrat Deepak Kumar said Verma was returning home on foot after attending a marriage function when he was shot dead near his house by the criminals.