The police have arrested four people, including a mother-daughter duo, in connection with the killing of mayor of Katihar Municipal Corporation Thursday night, officials said on Friday.
Shivraj Paswan, 40, was shot dead by assailants on Thursday night when he was on his way back home. He was declared dead at Katihar Medical College Hospital (KMCH), police said.
A total of 11 persons have been named as accused in the case. The four arrested have been identified as Pintu Paswan, 32, Shambhu Paswan, 28, Kumkum Devi, 50, and her daughter Manisha Devi, 28.
Paswan, who was said to be close to Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan, is the second party leader to have been killed this year. In May, Anil Oraon, who contested on LJP ticket from Manihari assembly seat in Katihar, was abducted and killed. His body was recovered three days after he was abducted on May 2.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), headquarters, Jitendra Kumar, said, “Police have lodged an FIR against 11 persons on the basis of the written statement of the brother of the deceased. So far, four accused have been arrested, and raids are on to nab the rest.”
Katihar district magistrate (DM) Udyan Mishra said the mayor was returning home on his bike without his bodyguards when he was shot.
{{/usCountry}}Katihar district magistrate (DM) Udyan Mishra said the mayor was returning home on his bike without his bodyguards when he was shot.
{{/usCountry}}Superintendent of police Vikas Kumar said all accused are from Katihar. Asked whether nephew of a BJP MLA is also one of the accused, he said, “We are verifying details of the accused named in the FIR lodged by the brother of the slain mayor.” “Old enmity could be a reason behind the incident, but we are probing all angles,” he said.
Paswan was elected mayor after his predecessor Vijay Singh won the assembly election on JD(U) ticket from Barari seat in Katihar.
Meanwhile, the Opposition slammed the government saying it has lost its grip over the law and order situation.
“The Bihar government has lost people’s trust,” said RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari.
Chirag Paswan, who had recently called on the mayor at his residence during his Ashirwad Yatra, said,“Any condemnation is less for such an incident. This is proof of how the confidence of criminals in Bihar is on the rise. Nitish Kumar should control the crime in Bihar.”
Deputy chief minister Tar Kishore Prasad, who hails from the same region, would be visiting Katihar to meet the slain mayor’s family, sources close to him said.