PATNA: A jeweller was gunned down by unidentified persons in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, said the police on Tuesday.
The victim, Manoj Shah, a native of Vishnupur village, was returning home after closing the shop located at Nagara market in Sitamarhi town on Monday night. When he reached the Fulhatta bridge situated on the Purab Hardi river, unidentified men fired at him.
The villagers later informed the local police and family members of the deceased. The family members and relatives of the deceased reached the spot immediately. They took the dead body to Vishnupur, and have refused to hand it over to the police for autopsy. They were angry over the growing lawlessness in the region as various crimes, including murder, loot and rape frequently happen here, they alleged.
"Criminals have no fear of the police. They often target anyone for loot in the area. If any person objects to their acts, they kill them. The situation is such that people hardly go outside after 6 p.m., " said Ramdev Shah, the deceased's father.
"My son had no enmity with anyone. It could be a case of robbery cum murder. Local police reached the village hours after the incident. They are completely insensitive about heinous crimes, " he said.
When contacted, R.S. Chaudhary, the investigating officer of the Bela police station said: "We have registered an FIR of murder and robbery against unknown persons. Efforts are on to identify the accused. We have activated local informers to find some clues about the accused."
On Sunday night, a pan masala trader was gunned down in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district soon after he reached home after closing his shop.
Jeweller gunned down in Bihar's Sitamarhi