Patna: Criminal activities in Bihar are on the rise ever since the formation of ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government led by Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar.
In the latest in the string of incidents that have drawn allegations of deteriorating law and order situation in the state, a hardware businessman in Darbhanga district of North Bihar was killed on Tuesday morning.
The incident comes barely days after a newly elected Mukhiya (Panchayat head) was shot dead by assailants in Nalanda.
According to police, the victim has been identified as Hira Paswan (35). Paswan was shot dead by unidentified assailants on the Darbhanga-Kamtaul road near Makhnahi village, police said.
Police said that Paswan, who owned a hardware shop at Sidudhara bazar, was called out of his home on phone in the morning and was killed.
“The reason for the murder is being investigated. Raids were conducted to arrest the culprits,” Sadar Assistant Superintendent of Police Dilnawaz Ahmad said.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased have pointed to the role of RJD MLA Lalit Yadav in the alleged murder of Paswan. The family says Yadav had threatened Paswan several times in the past over a land dispute and it was at his behest that the businessman was killed.
“Paswan was killed over a land dispute… Yadav had in past threatened many times to withdraw the case,” family said.
Bihar has witnessed a spurt in crime soon after the Nitish government returned to power in November last year.
Last week, a newly elected Mukhiya (Panchayat head) was shot dead by assailants in broad daylight in the Chief Minister’s home district Nalanda. The victim, identified as Poonam Devi, was recently elected Mukhiya of Harnaut region.
In another incident reported from West Champaran’s Motihari last week, eight unidentified motorcycle-borne armed criminals stormed into a jewellery shop and looted jewellery worth over Rs 1 crore at Kami Tola locality under town police station limits.
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