Patna: Over 36 hours since the brutal killing of prominent Patna industrialist Gopal Khemka, police have yet to make an arrest, despite claims of having obtained “significant leads” in the case. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), alongside the Bihar State Police’s Special Task Force (STF), is leading an intensive investigation marked by a flurry of raids across Patna and surrounding districts.
According to Patna Range Inspector General Jitendra Rana, several individuals have been detained for questioning, and the police are closing in on the culprits. “We have crucial information related to the case,” he said, expressing confidence that the perpetrators would be apprehended soon.
The investigation has also led officers to Beur Jail, where a known criminal is believed to have possible links to the murder. Sources indicate that half a dozen inmates, including the suspected gangster, have been questioned. During searches at the jail, police recovered three mobile phones, SIM cards, a data cable, paper slips with phone numbers, and other electronic paraphernalia from various wards.
On Saturday, IG Rana, accompanied by the SSP and other senior officials, visited the crime scene to conduct a preliminary assessment. Forensic teams recovered a spent shell casing and a bullet from the site.
The killing, which took place outside Kataruka Niwas, was captured on CCTV. The footage shows Khemka arriving in a car and waiting for the residential gate to open. A second vehicle, carrying residents Ankit Chaudhary and his wife, follows behind. Moments later, a man wearing a helmet approaches Khemka’s car from the right, draws a firearm, and shoots him at close range through the closed window. The assailant then flees the scene on a scooter.
