A 58-year-old lawyer identified as Jitendra Kumar Mahto was shot dead on Sunday in the Sultanpur police station area of Patna in full public view, making it the fifth reported shooting incident in Bihar between Saturday and Sunday, news agency ANI reported.
According to the report, Mahto had stepped out for his regular evening tea. On his way back, unidentified assailants opened fire at him, fatally injuring him. He was rushed to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where doctors declared him dead. Police found three empty bullet shells at the crime scene and are currently investigating the case from all possible angles. FSL teams have been deployed, and CCTV footage is being examined, the report said.
"Criminals shot a person named Jitendra Mahato. He was taken to the PMCH hospital for treatment, where he died. The family said that he used to come here every day to drink tea. Today, he came here to drink tea and was shot while returning... Three bullet shells have been recovered from the spot. The identities of the criminals and their motives behind this incident are being investigated. FSL teams, local police, and the SDO were called after I learned about the incident. All the CCTV cameras in the vicinity are being examined... The case is being investigated from every angle," ANI quoted Patna East SP Parichay Kumar as saying.
"On the basis of preliminary information, we got to know that the accused was a lawyer, but was not practicing for the last two years," he added.
Third in Patna, fifth in Bihar
Mahto’s killing marks the third reported murder in Patna and the fifth across Bihar between Saturday and Sunday, India Today reported.
On Saturday, Surendra Kumar, also identified as Surendra Kewat, was gunned down by bike-borne assailants near his farm in Sheikhpura village, located along the Bihta–Sarmera State Highway. Surendra was allegedly associated with the BJP. Despite being taken to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
Earlier that day, Vikram Jha, a grocery shop owner from Darbhanga, was fatally shot outside his store in Patna’s Ram Krishna Nagar area. His attackers, too, remain unidentified.
Adding to the list of victims was Putu Khan, a businessman from Sitamarhi. Khan was shot at close range at Mehsaul Chowk on Saturday by unknown miscreants. He died on the spot after being hit in the head.
Khan's killing led to tensions in the area. Family members, refusing to allow a post-mortem, staged a protest on the road with the body, demanding justice and alleging that the murder was linked to a land dispute involving his business, India Today reported.
In yet another incident, a teacher named Santosh Rai was killed in Saran district's Bisahi area on Sunday morning. He and his companion, Kangress Rai, were travelling in a car when two men on a motorcycle opened fire. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Santosh succumbed to his injuries while Kangress continues to undergo treatment. Police have launched a manhunt to find the shooters, the report said.
These five murders follow closely on the heels of the July 4 killing of Gopal Khemka, a well-known businessman and BJP functionary, who was shot dead right outside his home in the Gandhi Maidan area of Patna, one of the most heavily guarded parts of the city.
Slamming the law-and-order situation in the state, Leader of Opposition and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav wrote in a post on X: “Fresh crime! Fearless criminals! Lawyer shot in Patna Girl murdered in Vaishali Teacher shot dead in Parsa Chief Minister ill, state helpless A barrage of bullets in Bihar!”
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