An elderly man, sitting outside his house, was shot dead by two attackers, who, in turn, were lynched by a violent mob in a village on the outskirts of Patna on Monday evening.
The incident comes just days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to power, promising good governance.
Patna Superintendent of Police (East), Parichay Kumar, stated that the attack occurred between 4:30 and 5 pm in Dommanchak village, under Gopalpur police station.
According to the officer, two men on a bike arrived at the home of Asharfi Rai (80) in Dommanchak village and opened fire at him indiscriminately.
"After committing the incident, the bike-borne men fled from the spot. However, they did not get far. Hearing the commotion, villagers gathered and chased them, managing to intercept them. They lynched the attackers. The attackers lost their lives on the spot," said the police officer.
The injured elderly man, Asharfi Rai, was shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital in the city, where he died of his injuries.
The officer said a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has been dispatched to the crime scene to collect evidence.
"The FSL team has recovered dead cartridges from the first crime spot. We have also recovered bricks, stones, and batons from the second crime spot. Police are also examining CCTV footage from nearby areas," officer Kumar added.
Asked if a land dispute was the reason for the killing, the officer said the investigation is underway and "it is too early" to make any such comment.
The attackers have not yet been identified, the officer said.
The Patna Police is investigating the incident and recording the statements of the victim's family to know the exact reason for the murder.
"We have recovered all three bodies and sent them for the post-mortem," officer Kumar said.
