Gaya / Patna : The granddaughter of Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi was shot dead by her husband in Gaya district on Wednesday afternoon, police confirmed. Initial media reports stated that the victim, identified as Sushma Devi, was the daughter of a nephew of Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and worked as a Vikas Mitra in the Atari block.
The accused, Ramesh Singh, reportedly arrived from Patna by bus and shot his wife in the chest inside their home in Tetua village before fleeing the scene. A country-made pistol was recovered at the site.
Neighbours and family members said the couple had been married for 14 years in what was an inter-caste marriage. They had three children—two daughters, aged 13 and 5, and an 8-year-old son.
At the time of the incident, Sushma’s sister and children were in another room. “We heard a gunshot and rushed in. She was lying in a pool of blood,” said Poonam, the victim’s sister, who added that Ramesh fled immediately after the shooting.
According to local residents, Ramesh had sold his property after marriage and had been living in his wife’s home as a gharjamai (resident son-in-law). He worked as a truck driver based in Patna and would typically visit his family on Sundays. His arrival mid-week raised no immediate alarm.
Sushma was rushed to the local government hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Senior police officials, including SSP Anand Kumar, said a special investigation team has been constituted to track down the accused. The team is led by Neemchak Bathani SDPO Prakash Kumar and ASP Anwar Javed Ansari. Forensic and technical teams have also been dispatched to collect evidence from the scene.
“The investigation is ongoing and all efforts are being made to apprehend the suspect,” SSP Kumar said.
