Patna: The streets of Patna remain gripped by unease as, two days after the brazen killing of prominent businessman Gopal Khemka, his murderers continue to evade capture, deepening the shadows over Bihar’s criminal underworld.
Patna police, scrambling for leads, have pieced together a trail from the night of the attack, revealing a chillingly meticulous plan. CCTV footage traced the gunman’s escape route after Khemka was shot at point-blank range outside his apartment near Ramgulam Chowk. The suspect was spotted steering a car through Fraser Road, veering via SP Verma Road, Income Tax Golambar, R Block, and then vanishing towards Sonpur across the JP Setu bridge—a route that suggests both familiarity with the city’s arteries and precise planning.
According to investigators, a tight-knit ring of three to four individuals orchestrated the murder, each assigned a role: the triggerman, those providing cover, and lookouts scattered across various vantage points. Sources suggest the conspirators tracked Khemka’s movements from the moment he left Bankipur Club until his fatal arrival at his home, communicating updates as he travelled through the city.
Footage has surfaced showing a lone gunman approaching Khemka’s vehicle and fleeing solo after the shooting. However, police sources believe multiple accomplices lurked nearby in separate vehicles, ready to divert attention and facilitate the killer’s escape.
This brutal murder has also reopened old wounds in Patna’s crime history. Nearly seven years ago, Gopal Khemka’s son, Gunjan, fell victim to a similar fate, gunned down on 20 December 2018 in Hajipur’s industrial zone. In the aftermath, Vaishali police arrested four men, including Abhishek Sinha, alias Mastu, from Patna City.
Yet the plot thickened further when Mastu, out on bail and allegedly preparing to disclose critical information, was himself murdered on December 18, 2021. He and his friend were shot dead while stuck in traffic in Patna’s Chhoti Pahadi area—a killing that silenced potential secrets tied to the Khemka family tragedy.
Now, seven years after Gunjan’s murder, the killing of his father has reignited speculation about deeper conspiracies. Suspicion has turned toward notorious gangster Ajay Verma, long rumoured to be linked to Mastu’s slaying. Currently incarcerated in Patna’s Beur Jail, Verma has again surfaced as a figure of interest in the Khemka probe.
On Saturday, police carried out a high-intensity search inside Beur Jail, interrogating Ajay Verma and three alleged associates for over ninety minutes. According to prison sources, the operation focused on the Ganga block, where Verma is housed, as investigators explored the possibility that the plot to kill Gopal Khemka was hatched from within the prison walls.
While police say they have secured vital leads, the killers remain at large—a stark reminder that the spectre of organised crime continues to cast a long shadow over Patna’s streets.
