JD(U) leader shot dead, angry protests break out

A ruling Janata Dal (United) leader in Bihar was shot dead on Monday night outside his residence in Danapur in the state capital, sparking angry protests, police said.

A ruling Janata Dal (United) leader in Bihar was shot dead on Monday night outside his residence in Danapur in the state capital, sparking angry protests, police said.  

Locals stage a protest at Patna’s Danapur on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

The deceased, Deepak Mehta, 47, was JD(U)’s state secretary and vice-chairman of Danapur Nagar Parishad (city council).

Priya Ranjan Kumar, a relative, said Mehta had fought assembly election on Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) ticket from Danapur assembly constituency in 2020 and lost to RJD’s Ritlal Yadav. Later, RLSP merged with JD (U).

Police said Mehta’s wife had started preparations to fight election to the post of chairman of Danapur city council.

Patna senior superintendent of police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said Mehta’s family was yet to lodge a complaint. “Preliminary investigation has suggested that Mehta was killed over a land dispute, but police are also investigating the political rivalry angle,” he said.

According to police, the incident occurred around 10.30 pm when Mehta was walking outside his residence. Assailants riding two motorcycles indiscriminately fired at him from point blank range, leaving him critically injured. Mehta was rushed to a private hospital in Raja Bazar where he was declared brought dead.

Following the incident, an angry crowd blocked Danapur-Gandhi Maidan main road and disrupted vehicular traffic more than 19 hours. Business establishments in Danapur remained shut on Tuesday.

Locals alleged the police reached the spot two hours after the incident and ransacked Nasriganj police outpost, situated very close to the crime site, and damaged seized vehicles.

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of people gathered outside Danapur police station and shouted slogans against the administration.

Meanwhile, a host of leaders, including BJP MP Ramkripal Yadav, former union minister and JD (U) leader Upendra Kushwaha and former minister Shyam Razak visited Mehta’s family. Kushwaha, founder of the erstwhile RLSP, even had to face public ire.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar also condoled Mehta’s death.