Woman's murder sparks mob fury, boy hurt in police firing

PATNA: A 15-year-old boy was injured in a police firing at Dumra village under the Patepur police station area in Vaishali district on Saturday. The police had to open fire to disperse a mob which had indulged in stone pelting and arson following the murder of a married woman.

The victim, Amit Kumar, a resident of Mukundpur village in the district, was rushed to the primary health centre at Patepur from where he was referred to sadar hospital at Hajipur.

He was later shifted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital for better treatment.

The trouble began around 9.30am when the woman, Nutan Kumari (30), was shot dead by three armed criminals near Dumra village under Patepur police station. Nutan was attacked by motorbike-borne assailants from behind while returning home on foot after dropping her six-year-old son, Nishant, to his school.

SHO of Patepur police station Krishna Kumar Berai said the police fired at least four rounds in the air to quell an unruly mob, which had surrounded the members of the police team and pelted stones at them. A minor boy, who was part of the mob, received bullet injuries in the firing, he added.

Locals later blocked Patepur-Mahua road and disrupted vehicular traffic. “Murder, loot and extortion have become a routine affair in the area. It seems the people are living at the mercy of the Almighty,” said Ganesh Kumar, a resident of Dhankaul village.

Preliminary police investigations revealed that Nutan had strained relationship with her husband Akhilesh Kumar. The woman had filed a case against her husband in the court at Hajipur and the court verdict was expected next week. “The deceased’s husband is absconding after the incident,” the SHO said.

Akhilesh had married Nutan, a resident of Sultanpur Chak Harihar village, in February 2012. However, their relationship turned sour and Nutan decided to fight a legal battle for justice. “The involvement of hired goons in the woman’s murder can’t be ruled out,” the SHO added.

Private firm employee shot dead: One Rupesh Kumar, an employee of a private firm, was shot dead by unidentified criminals on Hajipur-Mahua road in Vaishali district on Saturday. The deceased was a resident of Virara village under the Hajipur Sadar police station.

The incident took place when Rupesh was on way to Mahua from Hajipur on his motorbike. The assailants intercepted Rupesh and shot him from close range, leading to his instant death. The police recovered the deceased’s motorbike and sent the body to sadar hospital at Hajipur for post mortem. The reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained.