Darbhanga: A gold merchant was shot dead late on Wednesday after being ambushed near Hajipur village in the Bahadurpur police station area, police said.
The victim, identified as 25-year-old Rahul Kumar of Bakarganj Daru Bhatti (Laheriasarai), had closed his shop at Brahmatra Chowk and was riding home on his motorcycle at about 8pm when assailants lying in wait near a private school on the Thalwara-Laheriyasarai road opened fire. Neighbours who heard the shots rushed him to a private hospital, but doctors pronounced him dead.
Investigators recovered four bullet shells from the scene. The crime occurred roughly 1.5 kilometres from Rahul’s shop; the attackers fled on a motorcycle and their number is not yet confirmed. A forensic (FSL) team has been deployed and CCTV footage from the area is being examined. Rahul’s body has been sent to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for post-mortem.
Rahul’s family — a wife and two young children — have been left distraught. The shop, operated from rented premises for the past decade, was the family’s only known source of income, villagers said.
The shooting has stoked anger and fear locally, with residents questioning whether policing in the area is adequate. Bahadurpur station house officer Sunil Kumar said raids have been launched and that “the perpetrators will not be spared,” while investigations continue.
