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Shooter in Bihar businessman Gopal Khemka murder case arrested: Police
The Bihar Police said it has proof against Ashok Sahu - the man who allegedly hired the contract killers to murder Gopal Khemka..
The Bihar Police on Tuesday said it has arrested another accused in the businessman Gopal Khemka's murder case. According to additional director general of police Kundan Krishnan, the accused arrested is the shooter who opened fire and killed prominent businessman Gopal Khemka, a BJP leader, late on Friday night outside his residence in Patna.
“The facts that have come in the investigation are that the shooter has been arrested, and we have the evidence against him," said ADG Krishnan at a press conference.
Also read: ‘What did my son do?’, asks mother of Gopal Khemka murder accused on his encounter in Patna
He added that the police have evidence against a man identified as Ashok Sahu, who allegedly gave money to the contract killers to carry out the murder. However, the police have not been able to figure out the motive behind the murder yet.
"We also have proof against Ashok Sahu, who gave the contract to kill the victim.... There can be many reasons behind this, many call records have to be checked," the ADG said.
The police have arrested Sahu as well, reported NDTV. Sahu is also a businessman who had at least two altercations with Khemka in the past, the report said, citing police sources. Sahu allegedly paid the killers ₹10 lakh to kill Khemka, the report added.
Also read: Who was Gopal Khemka, BJP leader and Patna businessman shot dead outside home
The arrest of the alleged shooter comes as a key accused involved in the murder was shot dead in an encounter with the Bihar Police on Tuesday morning in Patna, said an official familiar with the matter.
The encounter happened when the police reached the house of the main accused, Vikas alias Raja, to question him about the murder. However, according to the police, he opened fire at them, which led to a gun battle in which Vikas was shot dead.
"However, Raja opened fire at the police after which the accused was shot in the ensuing gun battle. The connection of Raja is yet to be fully established, but the police had gone to question him for his dubious role, as he came across as a supplier of illegal weapons and he is suspected to have made available the weapon used in the murder at the behest of Umesh alias Vijay Yadav, who is in the police net,” said Patna senior SP Kartikey Sharma.
