Patna: A local cricket tournament in Bihar’s capital turned violent late Wednesday night when armed assailants opened fire during the prize distribution ceremony, leaving three individuals injured, including a prominent panchayat representative. The incident occurred in Kushwaha Kanpa village under the Rani Talab police station limits in Patna’s Paliganj subdivision.
According to police, the attack took place shortly after the conclusion of a night cricket match, where Saidabad Panchayat head representative Anjani Singh was attending as chief guest. Eyewitnesses reported that four unidentified men on two motorbikes arrived at the scene and began firing indiscriminately. Singh sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the leg and thigh, while two spectators—identified as Raja Kumar and Dharmendra Kumar—were also hit during the chaos.
All three were initially taken to nearby healthcare facilities, with Singh later shifted to Paras Hospital in Patna for advanced treatment. The other two victims are being treated at AIIMS Patna and are said to be stable.
In a shocking statement given from his hospital bed, Singh accused Vikram constituency MLA Siddharth Saurabh and two others—Ganori Yadav and Rajesh Yadav—of orchestrating the attack. “They tried to kill me,” Singh alleged, claiming he had informed the police about threats to his life weeks ago but received no protection.
Police have recovered a motorcycle, six bullet shells, and a magazine from the crime scene. “A probe is underway and arrests will be made soon,” said station in-charge Pramod Kumar.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over law and order in the region, especially given that the shooting occurred just 500 metres from the local police station. Singh’s wife, Mamta Devi, is the current elected Mukhiya of Saidabad Panchayat.
