Industrialist shot dead near his factory in Bihar’s Hajipur

The businessman had survived an attempt to his life in 2016. The broad daylight murder has created an atmosphere of fear among the traders, business fraternity in the state where they have always remained soft target.

A lone bike-borne assailant on Thursday afternoon shot dead an industrialist, Gunjan Khemka (37), proprietor of G K Cotton Mill, near his factory gate in Hajipur Industrial Estate area, barely 100 meters from the local police station in Bihar’s Vaishali district.

A lone bike-borne assailant on Thursday afternoon shot dead an industrialist, Gunjan Khemka (37), proprietor of G K Cotton Mill, near his factory gate in Hajipur Industrial Estate area, barely 100 meters from the local police station in Bihar’s Vaishali district. (AFP FILE PHOTO)

The deceased, who was also convener of Bihar state BJP’s industry wing, was coming out of his factory’s gate in his car around 12: 30 pm, when the assailant riding a bike sans any registration number and wearing a helmet, came close and pumped three bullets into Khemka, who was seated next to the driver, and killed him on the spot.

The driver Manoj Kumar had a narrow escape as a bullet slipped by his waist causing a minor slit. He told police that as the assailant tried to flee, he chased him by throwing bricks and stones but to no avail.

Officials from the local police station rushed Khemka to the local Sadar hospital where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Gopal Khemka, the deceased’s father, said the entire family is aghast and had nothing to comment on the incident.

“My son had no enmity with anyone,” he said, before leaving the with the body after post-mortem to his Patna residence, where a large crowd of businessmen, politicians, relatives, friends and sympathisers had gathered to express solidarity and console the aggrieved family members.

Vaishali SP Manvinder Singh Dhillon said police are probing several angles.

Hajipur legislator, Awadhesh Singh, who also visited the hospital, condemned the incident and demanded strong action.

Back in Patna, the opposition strongly pulled up the government and held chief minister Nitish Kumar’s callous police responsible for the murder.

“Citizens of Bihar are living at the mercy of criminals. Nitish Kumar’s good governance claim remains a farce,” Dr Ram Chandra Purve, state RJD president, told media persons.

Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) president P K Agarwal said the broad daylight murder of an industrialist has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. “We are hurt and highly disappointed. We expect the government to take immediate action against the culprit to restore confidence among members of the business community,” he said.

Family members said that in 2016, Khemka had survived an attempt on his life. He had been seeking security from the state police since then but was not given, they alleged.

The Khemkas owne a surgical cotton factory and a carton factory in the Hajipur Industrial Estate.

Attack on industrialists and businessmen are a common affair in Bihar. The business community is often targeted across the state by criminals for extortion and ransom.

Hajipur has been notorious in this regard. In the last two years, criminals have gunned down at least five prominent businessmen and traders of the area.

Prominent murders in Hajipur

June 7, 2016: Sushil Varshney, 42, iron and steel trader, gunned down in Hajipur industrial area

March 5, 2017: Trader Ankit Rashtogi gunned down in Hajipur Gudri Bazar area while returning home with money collected from retailers

May 16, 2018: Sushil Kumar Singh, marble trader, murdered near his shop

February 24, 2018: Medicine trader Anil Thakur killed near Jandaha, Hajipur

September 24, 2018: Aman Kumar, 30, killed near Sarai Bazar, Hajipur