Patna: A 65-year-old businessman was shot dead on Monday in Patna, sparking a violent chain of events that left the alleged perpetrators dead at the hands of a mob.
Ashrafi Rai, a resident of Bhupatipur, was reportedly sitting outside his home in the Domanchak area when two men on a motorbike opened fire, discharging six shots in quick succession. More than ten shell casings were recovered from the scene, indicating the assailants fired indiscriminately.
Local residents chased the men, who fled the scene, and caught up with them approximately 200 metres away. According to witnesses, the crowd beat the two attackers to death with bricks, stones, spears, and axes. Police later confirmed that the bodies were found lying about 20 feet apart, suggesting the mob had captured and attacked them separately.
A deputy superintendent of police (DSP) stated that preliminary inquiries indicate the shooting was linked to a land dispute valued at Rs 20 crore. The identities of the two assailants have not yet been confirmed.
“Police have found clues from CCTV footage,” City SP East Parichay Kumar said. “The businessman was sitting outside his house. Two criminals arrived on a bike, shot him, and tried to flee. The crowd surrounded the criminals and beat them. Both died on the spot. The businessman was brought to the hospital, but he was declared dead.”
Following the incident, a heavy police presence was deployed in the village. Officers are questioning local residents and the family of the deceased, while a search of the surrounding area recovered weapons and stones used in the lynching. The investigation is ongoing to determine who was behind the attack.
