PATNA: Armed criminals shot dead a retired postal department employee near his residence on Veer Kunwar Singh Path in north S K Puri of Patna on Sunday morning.
The 75-year-old Sakaldeo Rai was about to enter his home after purchasing vegetables when two criminals on a white sports bike pumped three bullets into his chest around 10.40am and escaped through the narrow lane leading to Boring Road, an eyewitness said.
A dispute over 32 katthas of land at Chandmari village under Shahpur police station in western Patna is stated to be the reason behind the murder. “The person riding pillion tapped Rai’s left shoulder. When he turned towards them, he fired at Rai, who fell down. His elder son Manish was also standing in one corner of the house. He rushed towards Rai but he died on the spot,” the eyewitness said. He further said that the one driving the bike was wearing a helmet while the killer had not hidden his face.
Incharge City SP (central) D Amarkesh said Rai’s son Manish identified one of the accused from CCTV footage as Suraj, the son of Devendra. Manish runs a restaurant on the ground floor of the three-storey building owned by the deceased. Rai’s younger son Manoj is a software engineer and lives in New York.
When contacted, Shahpur police station SHO Dheeraj Kumar said a scuffle had taken place over land dispute between Devendra and one Mahendra Rai on January 3, 2018. “FIRs were lodged from both sides. Devendra and Mahendra’s son Rahul Rai had been sent to jail in that case,” he said, adding Mahendra was from Sakaldeo’s side.
“The land dispute between Sakaldeo and Devendra is very old, but no related case is lodged with the police. Several panchayat meetings had taken place on the issue,” he said.
A person close to Sakaldeo’s son told TOI that Manish had once gone to Beur jail to meet Rahul but incidentally Suraj was also there to meet his father. “Suraj had tried to thrash Manish by grabbing his collar,” he added.
Rai lived with his wife, son Manish and other family members in the three-storey building. Sakaldeo had retired as a section officer from GPO, Patna.
The 75-year-old Sakaldeo Rai was about to enter his home after purchasing vegetables when two criminals on a white sports bike pumped three bullets into his chest around 10.40am and escaped through the narrow lane leading to Boring Road, an eyewitness said.
A dispute over 32 katthas of land at Chandmari village under Shahpur police station in western Patna is stated to be the reason behind the murder. “The person riding pillion tapped Rai’s left shoulder. When he turned towards them, he fired at Rai, who fell down. His elder son Manish was also standing in one corner of the house. He rushed towards Rai but he died on the spot,” the eyewitness said. He further said that the one driving the bike was wearing a helmet while the killer had not hidden his face.
Incharge City SP (central) D Amarkesh said Rai’s son Manish identified one of the accused from CCTV footage as Suraj, the son of Devendra. Manish runs a restaurant on the ground floor of the three-storey building owned by the deceased. Rai’s younger son Manoj is a software engineer and lives in New York.
When contacted, Shahpur police station SHO Dheeraj Kumar said a scuffle had taken place over land dispute between Devendra and one Mahendra Rai on January 3, 2018. “FIRs were lodged from both sides. Devendra and Mahendra’s son Rahul Rai had been sent to jail in that case,” he said, adding Mahendra was from Sakaldeo’s side.
“The land dispute between Sakaldeo and Devendra is very old, but no related case is lodged with the police. Several panchayat meetings had taken place on the issue,” he said.
A person close to Sakaldeo’s son told TOI that Manish had once gone to Beur jail to meet Rahul but incidentally Suraj was also there to meet his father. “Suraj had tried to thrash Manish by grabbing his collar,” he added.
Rai lived with his wife, son Manish and other family members in the three-storey building. Sakaldeo had retired as a section officer from GPO, Patna.
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