A police constable on his way back from searching for a liquor smuggler in Bihar’s Siwan district was shot dead by a crowd around 2 a.m. on Wednesday.
According to police, the shooting occurred while the police team was returning home after following up on some leads about liquor smuggling in Siwan’s Gyaspur village.
The team came to a halt when they noticed a group of four or five people sitting on the roadside on the outskirts of the village. When the team asked them to identify themselves, they attempted to flee, according to police.
“When the team went after them, the criminals opened fire and escaped,” said Rajesh Kumar, in-charge station house officer of Siswan police station.
Constable Valmiki Kumar Yadav (39), a Patna rural resident, was taken to the Siwan Sadar hospital with gunshot wounds but died before arriving, according to doctors.
According to police, a local resident, Mohammad Sirajuddin (55), who stepped out of his house after hearing the shooting outside, was also injured by a bullet. He was also admitted to the hospital and is now safe.
A special task force (STF) team has been dispatched to Gyaspur village to conduct raids and apprehend the criminals, according to police.
Jitendra Singh Gangwar, the additional director general of police (headquarters), stated that the Siwan superintendent of police (SP) and the Saran range deputy inspector general (DIG) are camping at the scene and overseeing the action.
An investigation has started and raids are being conducted to nab the culprits. No arrests have been made so far,” Gangwar added.
According to a police officer, the constable’s death has sparked deep resentment among the force, which wants the police leadership to order a crackdown on criminals in the district.