Who was Chandan Mishra? The gangster who couldn’t escape his violent past

At around 9 am on Thursday, five assailants entered Paras Hospital at shot at Chandan Mishra.

Chandan Mishra, notorious in Bihar’s criminal underworld and a convicted gangster facing life imprisonment, was shot dead in a brazen attack inside Patna’s Paras Hospital on Thursday morning. The killing, which police suspect is the result of a violent gang rivalry, has again underlined the dangerous intersections of crime, punishment, and retribution in the state.

Mishra, also known by the alias Chandan Singh, was anything but an ordinary prisoner. His criminal portfolio, as drawn from a report by HT, included more than 20 cases, ranging from murder to daring robberies targeting banks and jewellery shops. His violent saga had left a longstanding imprint on Bihar’s law enforcement, earning him a reputation as the close confidant of infamous interstate gold robber Santosh Singh.

Once sentenced to death for his role in the 2011 murder of trader Rajendra Keshri, Mishra’s punishment was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna High Court in February 2020. He had been lodged at Beur Central Jail but was recently released on a 15-day parole for medical reasons, a reprieve that was to have ended on July 18. Yet, Mishra’s brief spell of freedom proved fatal.

At around 9 am on Thursday, five unidentified assailants entered Paras Hospital, located in Patna’s Shastri Nagar police station area near Raja Bazar. According to details reported by HT, the men made their way to Mishra’s private room, opened fire, and fled before security personnel could react, leaving several spent bullet shells in their wake. The shooting caused immediate panic among patients and hospital staff.

“Chandan Mishra, who was on parole, was admitted to Paras Hospital for treatment. He was shot by unidentified assailants inside the hospital,” confirmed Patna SSP Kartikey K Sharma, in remarks highlighted by HT. Initial police investigation, as shared by Inspector General Rana, indicated that the murder was an instance of targeted killing “carried out after recce.” The authorities have since deployed a dog squad and forensic team to the scene, while trawling through the hospital’s extensive CCTV footage for clues.

Mishra’s entanglement with the world of organised crime remained relentless even after years behind bars. His arrest in 2014 by the Special Task Force from Kolkata marked yet another chapter in his tumultuous life. After stints in Buxar and Bhagalpur jails, he had been shifted to Beur, hoping that a period in incarceration might silence the rivalries. However, despite a history of high-profile crimes and incarceration, he remained entangled in the violent world of organised crime, noted HT, underscoring the gravity of his criminal dossier.

Authorities have not ruled out any possibilities, but early evidence points squarely towards an old feud within Bihar’s notorious criminal networks. “Prima facie, it seems to be an instance of targeted killing and was carried out after recce,” IG Rana was cited by HT, indicating that this was far from a random attack.