Six bike-riding assailants allegedly gunned down a silk trader late Wednesday night in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district.
The incident occurred only 400 metres from the local police station. Mohammad Afzal Ansari (35), a Momin Tola resident, was identified as the deceased.
The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m., as Afzal was returning home from closing his shop.
As soon as he got close to his house, armed assailants allegedly began shooting at him indiscriminately.
Family members rushed him to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, where he died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds and excessive bleeding.
According to Bhagalpur SSP Babu Ram, the bike-riding men fired at a trader near his house.
Over a dozen empty cartridges were recovered from the scene by police. According to the SSP, Afzal was shot five times.
The deceased’s maternal uncle bemoaned the lawlessness in Bhagalpur, alleging that crime cases were common there. He claimed that criminals used to demand extortion money from city traders and industrialists.
“At present, the actual cause behind the murder is not known. Police are working on different theories to crack the case. We are trying to identify the accused persons. We are conducting raids at several places to nab them,” SSP added.
The entire market was deserted on Thursday, as shops and other commercial establishments remained closed.
They marched with the deceased’s body, shouting slogans against the state government and police for the deterioration of law and order.
Traders have also demanded the immediate arrest of suspects, stating that the area’s markets will remain closed until the arrests are made.