Gayaji: A suspect accused of attempting to kill a well-known physician in Bihar’s Gaya district has been shot and injured in a police encounter, as authorities intensify their investigation into a possible conspiracy rooted in a family property dispute.
The accused, identified as Satish alias Chandan, son of ward member Shankar Manjhi from Kajarsot village, was injured in a police operation near the foothills of a mountain in Hasanpur village, under Sherghati police station, close to the Bihar-Jharkhand border. According to officials, Chandan was shot in the leg and has been admitted to Magadh Medical College Hospital in Gaya for treatment.
Police claim that Chandan and two unidentified accomplices were involved in the July 19 attack on Dr. Tapeshwar Prasad, a prominent physician in Gaya. Dr. Prasad sustained bullet injuries, triggering public outrage and pressure on local authorities. Investigators say the Apache motorbike used in the assault has been recovered.
The attack has drawn attention to a long-standing property dispute between Dr. Prasad and his son, Dr. Shashi Ranjan. Officials are probing whether the shooting was connected to the disagreement or a possible extortion attempt.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shailendra Singh, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the case, confirmed the encounter and said that multiple arrests have been made. “The investigation is progressing. We are looking into every angle, including who plotted the attack and why,” he told reporters, declining to release details of those detained.
Tensions in Kajarsot village rose following the incident, with locals alleging that police conducted late-night raids and detained five youths from the rooftop of a house belonging to a resident named Lalu Yadav.
In a further development, Dr. Shashi Ranjan reported that police had taken into custody two of his clinic staff—compounders Raghunandan from Yogapur and Ravindra from Chapardah-Amas—on Tuesday morning. Dr. Ranjan operates a private clinic in Sherghati’s Golbazar.
The case has prompted renewed attention to the personal and professional tensions between Dr. Prasad and his son. The property dispute between the two has been ongoing since 2019.
