Bank officer shot dead by three men in Bihar

Police said that prima facie, the murder seemed to be the fallout of personal enmity

A State Bank of India (SBI) cash officer was shot dead on National Highway-31 in Naugachhia late Saturday.

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The murder took place near a rail overbridge under the jurisdiction of the Bihpur police station, around 260 km northeast of Patna.

Ajant Kumar Choudhary, the victim, was posted as a cash officer at the Barauni Refinery Campus branch of SBI.

Police said Choudhary was on his way to Tilakmanjhi in Bhagalpur on his motorcycle when the suspects accosted him and opened fire.

Police said that he was not robbed, adding that according to eyewitness accounts, three men on a motorcycle caught up to him and shot him dead. All of his belongings were found intact.

Naugachhia SDPO Dilip Kumar said that prima facie, the murder seemed to be the fallout of personal enmity. He added, “We want to question his family members, but they are not in a condition to talk right now. However, we have started our investigations and are hoping to crack the case.”

Choudhary is survived by his wife and children.

A senior police officer at the state police headquarters, who requested anonymity, said, “It was a pre-planned murder. Every angle will be examined and the culprits will be booked soon.”

The State Bank of India Officers Association (Patna Circle), one of the largest officers’ organisations in the region, denounced the killing. The general secretary of the confederation Ajit Kumar Mishra said, “What is all the more deplorable is that the murder took place at a time when all bank employees and officers are under tremendous pressure to meet public demand, along with the pressure of the government and management of fulfilling targets.”

The association has demanded a prompt and proper investigation into the killing and steps to prevent recurrence of such crimes in the future.

Naugachhia SP Swapna G Meshram said separate police teams have been formed to crack the case.