Patna: Civil court lawyer shot in Naubatpur, police suspect old enmity

PATNA: In a daring incident, unidentified assailants shot dead a Patna civil court lawyer Harendra Rai (55) near Sarari village under Naubatpur police station area in Bihar's western Patna in broad daylight on Tuesday. Rai was on his way to court when the killing took place.
Rai was going to court from his residence at village Alipur under the Naubatpur police station area only when he was intercepted and killed at around 10.30am.
Police said that at least two to three bike-borne criminals had started trailing him soon after he left the village. Police said criminals intercepted Rai at a secluded place near Sarari.
They said it seems Rai stopped his bike at the roadside on interception after which criminals shot him in chest resulting his spot death. Police said no empty cartridge was recovered from the spot.
“Criminals had fired on Rai from very close range as bullets had pierced through his chest,” a police officer said.
City SP (West) Ashok Mishra also rushed spot and later went to Rai’s residence for investigation.
Mishra said that the slain lawyer’s family members told police that they had old enmity with a neighbouring family.
“They are the prime suspect in Rai’s murder. Investigation is going on and police are recording statements of family members,” SP said.
Naubatpur police station Samrat Deepak Kumar said that Rai earlier used to practice at Danapur sub-divisional court. “In the last few years, he also started practising at Patna civil court and used to handle a large number of excise cases,” he said.
“Rai’s mother was also murdered way back in 2001. In that case too, the neighbouring family is accused as per the preliminary information received by police from lawyer’s family members,” he said.
Meanwhile, another senior police officer said that the trial in murder case of Rai’s mother was on verge of conclusion and soon sentence was going to be pronounced by court before which he got killed.
“He had an old enmity with his neighbour. In addition, police have also come to know that he was also representing co-villagers in several cases lodged by them in various matters,” he said.
He said one of those includes a case against his neighbour for using the anganwadi centre of Alipur village for the purpose of storing hays for cattle.
“An auxiliary nurse had lodged a case under SC/ST Act in that matter against them. Villagers told police that Rai had played an important role in getting that case lodged against his neighbour, he added.