Patna: Couple killed, 3 injured in bloody shootout over land dispute

Patna: In a horrific incident in Bihar's Patna district, a couple in Mansoorpur Lodipur village was killed and their children were left injured after assailants attacked their home in a case of land dispute. Arun Singh and his wife Manju Devi, both in their 40s, died on the spot while their three children were wounded. The eldest among three children, 22-year-old Tuntun Kumar has been seriously injured and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Patna while the other two between 12-14 years, Golu Kumar and Sudhir Kumar have been mildly injured after a bullet brushed them on their neck and cheek.

Angry local residents blocked the Patna Bakhtiyarpur National Highway 30 with the bodies of the couple for almost 3 hours. SDO Mukesh Ranjan said," Prima facie is a case of land dispute and we are investigating the matter and after due deliberations, with the protesters, the blockage has been put aside." 

Locals suggest that the incident was quite horrific. Karu Singh, brother of deceased Arun Singh said, " At around 7-8 in in the night when everyone was busy with their work in the home, suddenly 10-15 armed with rifles and pistols and started fierce firing and this terrorised the whole area.

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"The victim`s family alleged the local police were in connivance with the perpetrators as the incident occurred at 7.30- 8.00 pm, and the Police were informed of the incident during that time but arrived only after 3 hours of the incident at 11.30 pm. It has been said that the deceased Arun Singh and his neighbour Baidhu Singh had an old land dispute. Eight days earlier, both families fought fiercely and gunshots were fired. 

The incident was not reported to the police and no case was registered. Patna Rural SP, Fatuha SDPO and Patna city SDO reached the spot and after a hectic struggle with the angry protesters were able to open the highway for commuters. No official was ready to speak anything on camera.