A 58-year-old man identified as Jitendra Kumar Mahto was shot dead on Thursday in the Sultanpur police station area of Patna, making it the fourth reported shooting incident in Bihar within the last 24 hours.
According to Patna East SP Parichay Kumar, unidentified assailants opened fire on Mahto while he was returning after having tea. “Criminals shot a person named Jitendra Mahato. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, where he died,” Kumar said. He added that three bullet shells were recovered from the scene and the matter is under investigation from all possible angles.
Mahto, said to be a lawyer by profession, had not been actively practising law for the past two years, police officials confirmed. His family told the police that he used to come to the same spot every day for tea. “Today, he came here to drink tea and was shot while returning,” SP Kumar said.
Patna City ASP Atulesh Jha also visited the scene, and the Sultanpur police station team is currently probing the case. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has been informed, and police have begun examining CCTV footage from nearby areas in an attempt to identify the attackers.
The incident follows three other fatal shootings reported across Bihar within a 24-hour period, raising concerns over the law and order situation in the poll-bound state.
In the first incident on Saturday, businessman Putu Khan was shot in the head at point-blank range by unidentified assailants at Mehsaul Chowk, the busiest market area in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district.
CCTV footage of the attack has surfaced, showing Khan being targeted in broad daylight. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a private hospital. Police arrived at the scene and began collecting CCTV footage from nearby shops to identify the attackers.
Khan’s killing led to tensions in the area. Family members, refusing to allow a post-mortem, staged a protest on the road with the body, demanding justice and alleging that the murder was linked to a land dispute involving his business. Media personnel were prevented from filming the scene as tempers flared among locals.
Hours later, in Patna district’s Sheikhpura village, veterinary doctor Surendra Kumar (50) was shot while irrigating his field. According to officials, bike-borne gunmen opened fire at him. He was found unconscious with bullet wounds and rushed to AIIMS Patna by villagers but died during treatment.
Police are questioning locals and have sent the body for post-mortem. “No eyewitnesses have come forward so far. We are investigating all angles,” a police official said. Kumar was known in the area as a former block president of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha. Political motives have not been ruled out.
