Begusarai: A young cloth merchant was shot dead on Thursday morning near Baharbanni village after refusing to pay extortion money, his family said. The victim, Mohammad Shahzad, 25, had been married just six months ago.
According to relatives, Shahzad was on his way to his shop on a motorcycle when three assailants, identified as Pankaj Kumar, Vijay Paswan, and Kanhaiya Sahni, ambushed him. He was shot near the eye and died at the scene.
Shahzad’s brother, Kaushar Ali, said the criminals had been demanding extortion payments from his brother for the past three years. “They had come to our house before, and we handed them over to the police. After being released, they resumed their threats,” he said. A previous village council meeting had reportedly urged the family not to pay the so-called “tax,” with the community backing them.
The family has expressed outrage at the killing and demanded swift police action. “We will not allow the body to be removed until these criminals are killed in an encounter. If the police cannot do it, they should wear bangles,” Kaushar Ali said, invoking a traditional symbol of cowardice.
The Veerpur police arrived at the scene after being alerted by locals and are conducting raids to apprehend the suspects. Authorities confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and assured that the perpetrators would be arrested soon.
Shahzad ran a cloth shop in Veerpur market and managed one of two family-owned shops, while his brother ran the other. The killing has sent shockwaves through the village, highlighting the persistent problem of extortion targeting local businesses in the area.
