Chatra: A young man was shot at in front of his residence located on Bazartand road late Tuesday night, police said.
The victim was identified as Mukesh Soni alias Shanichar (23).
Officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, Vipin Kumar, said, "Mukesh was inside his house when his motorcycle, parked outside, was toppled over. He stepped out on hearing the noise when two miscreants fired three to four shots at him. One struck Shanichar in the waist, whilst the others hit the wall."
"An empty bullet shell was found at the scene. Mukesh is unemployed. Preliminary investigation suggests that the incident was the outcome of some dispute. We are interrogating his relatives and friends. We are also waiting for Mukesh to regain consciousness to take his statement," OC Kumar added.
Family members told police that Mukesh was taken to the Sadar Hospital, from where he was transferred to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi. The bullet was extracted but his condition remains critical, police added.
Meanwhile, the city is witnessing a surge in criminal activities, including murders, thefts, and snatchings. A total of 50 cases of theft have been reported from Dec 2024 till now. Most of the cases were reported from Simaria and Chatra police station limits. Thieves stole inverter, battery and a generator worth Rs.1.35 lakh from a community-managed training centre at Itkhori on Jan 6.
A woman, Malti Devi, was shot in the mouth in Pratappur on Dec19. She died on the spot. Akash Yadav and Asha Devi were murdered under Pratappur police station on Dec14.