Coming after a string of murders in Bihar’s capital, a 58-year-old lawyer Jitendra Kumar Mahto was gunned down on Thursday in Patna’s Sultanpur police station area. This is the third incident of shooting in the city in less than 24 hours.
Anonymous attackers fired at Mahto when he was returning after taking tea, reported ANI. Patna East SP Parichay Kumar stated, “Criminals fired at a man named Jitendra Mahato. He was rushed to the PMCH hospital for treatment where he succumbed. The family informed that he would come here daily for tea. Today, he was here to have tea and was gunned down while on his way back. Three shot shells have been recovered from the location. The identities of the culprits and their reasons for committing this crime are under investigation. FSL teams, police, and the SDO were summoned after I came to know about the incident. All CCTV cameras in the area are being checked. The case is being investigated from all sides.”
Police have obtained three bullet casings from the site and are in the process of identifying the attackers and determining a motive. Forensic units have been sent, and police officers are watching CCTV in the region. The police officer added, “On the basis of preliminary information, we came to know that the accused was a lawyer, but was not practicing for the last two years.”
Series of Killings Shake Bihar
The murder of Mahto is the third reported killing in Patna and the fourth in Bihar within 24 hours. Earlier, a grocery store owner Vikram Jha from Darbhanga was shot dead near his shop in Ram Krishna Nagar in Patna.
In another incident, Surendra Kumar, who was also known by the name Kewat in news and is said to be associated with the BJP, was gunned down by motorbike-borne men near his fields along the Bihta–Sarmera State Highway in Sheikhpura village. He died from his injuries at the nearby hospital.
In Bihar’s Sitamarhi on Saturday, businessman Putu Khan was point-blank shot in the head by unidentified attackers at Mehsaul Chowk.
These incidents follow closely on the murder of businessman and BJP functionary Gopal Khemka, who was shot outside his home in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan area on July 4—one of the city’s most secure neighborhoods.
