Professor shot inside college chamber in Bihar; Probe on

Eyewitnesses said the criminals brandished their weapons and fired in the air even as the students and teachers ran for safety

A college professor in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district was shot at by two armed criminals inside his chamber on Tuesday noon, police said adding that his condition remains critical.

According to doctors, the condition of the professor, who was shot at, remains critical. (Representative Image)

The victim, identified as Ravi Pathak is a native of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and he is the head of the Physics department at the Radha Krishna Goyenka College, Sitamarhi.

College principal Ram Naresh Pandit told police that he initially mistook the noise for firecrackers, but when he rushed to the chamber, he found the professor lying in a pool of blood, and he informed the police.

According to the eyewitnesses of the incident, two miscreants entered the college premises from the back gate, barged inside the chamber of Prof Pathak and shot him in his jaw. The assailant fired 3-4 shots at Pathak, with one hitting him in the face, they added.

The incident created panic and chaos on the college premises. “The criminals brandished their weapons and fired in the air to create panic. As the 300 odd students and teachers ran helter-skelter for safety, the criminals fired at Prof Pathak (40) from close range, and escaped,” said an investigator, familiar with the matter.

The identity of the assailant, who fled after committing the crime, was being ascertained by police. “Raids are underway to trace them. It is not clear what was the exact reason behind the murder. Multiple police teams have been pressed into action to crack the case,” said Sitamarhi superintendent of police (SP) Manoj Tiwary, who arrived at the spot and took stock of the situation. The chamber has been sealed and a team from the state’s forensic science laboratory has taken blood samples from the crime scene for tests.

CCTV footage from the area is being scanned to find out the registration number of the vehicle and the escape route taken by the assailants. Police said they were analysing the call details of Prof Pathak and trying to find the last caller. Sadar DSP Ram Krishna told HT that the incident took place at around 12.15pm. The college authority hurriedly took him to a private nursing home in critical condition, where he is undergoing treatment.

According to doctors, the condition of Prof Pathak remains critical.