Patna, Oct 15 (IANS) The broad-daylight murder of Ramkumar Singh, a retired Customs officer and state president of the Kshatriya Kalyan Sangathan, has triggered public outrage in Ara, Bhojpur district, with the family alleging that a long-standing land dispute could have led to the attack.
Singh was shot dead on Thursday in the Kanakpuri locality near Jain College, under the Nawada police station limits.
Following the incident, a large number of local residents gathered at the scene and staged a protest, demanding the immediate arrest of the assailants.
The victim’s wife, Sushila Devi, has alleged that a long-standing dispute over a 14-kattha plot of land led to her husband’s murder.
She has also raised allegations against officials over the handling of the dispute and the land records.
Singh was out walking with his son when motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire on him.
He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and collapsed at the scene. The attackers fled immediately after the shooting.
Reports differ on the number of bullets that struck him, with the latest account stating that he sustained seven gunshot wounds.
Sushila Devi alleged that the family had been embroiled in a dispute over a 14-kattha plot of land for a long time.
She claimed that after the land’s boundary wall was demolished, the family began receiving repeated threats.
She further alleged that when the family approached the Mufassil police station to lodge a written complaint, the then-SHO, Ram Kalyan Yadav, refused to accept it.
The victim’s wife also accused Ankita Singh, the Circle Officer of RK Anchal, of manipulating land records and facilitating the preparation of forged documents in exchange for money.
She claimed that the dispute ultimately led to her husband’s killing. These allegations have not yet been independently established.
Bhojpur Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Dixit reached the spot after receiving information about the murder and reviewed the situation.
The SP said the family had identified the land dispute as a possible motive for the killing.
He added that police were investigating all aspects of the case.
Responding to questions about the alleged refusal to accept the family’s complaint, Dixit said further action would depend on the formal complaint submitted by the family and the findings of the investigation.
He also assured that the police would work to identify and arrest the perpetrators soon.
The police are now investigating the murder while examining the alleged land dispute and the claims made against officials.
The case has intensified public anger, with residents demanding accountability and swift action against those responsible.
The motive behind the killing, the identity of the assailants and the allegations concerning the land records remain subjects of investigation.
–IANS
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