Prominent businessman shot dead in Patna, 7 years after son gunned down

Patna | Prominent Bihar-based businessman Gopal Khemka was shot dead outside his residence in Patna by a bike-borne assailant, seven years after miscreants had gunned down his son in Hajipur, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place around 11.40 pm on Friday near the gate of Khemka's house in Gandhi Maidan locality as he was about to alight from his car, they said.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting to review the law and order situation in the state during which he instructed officials to complete the investigation at the earliest, officials said. Khemka was reportedly associated with the BJP.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said Kumar emphasised at the meeting that the rule of law is top priority for the NDA government, and "warned of strict action against police personnel in case of negligence".

He also instructed officials concerned to complete the investigation at the earliest, it added.

SP (Patna Central) Diksha told reporters that officers of the local police station and personnel in patrolling vehicles had immediately reached the spot and secured the crime scene.

A bullet and a cartridge have been recovered from the spot. Preliminary investigation suggests he was gunned down by an unidentified bike-borne assailant, she said.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha met the bereaved family members of the businessman later in the day.

"This is not just a murder, but an attempt to challenge law and order. In this hour of sorrow, we all stand with the family. Those involved in this heinous act will be arrested. People who take the law into their own hands will not be spared. If required, encounters will also take place," he said.

"Property of absconding criminals are also being bulldozed in the state. Police and administration have been given free hand to tackle criminals," he added.

The criminals have been identified and they will soon be nabbed, he claimed.

Some relatives and family members of Khemka alleged that police personnel arrived at the spot nearly two hours after the incident.

Talking to PTI, Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar, however, denied the charge.

"There is no question of delay in police action. In fact, information about the incident reached the police around 12.30 am on Saturday. After the shooting took place at 11.40 pm on Friday, his family members took him to a private hospital in Kankarbagh locality, which took almost 30-35 minutes. It was the hospital authorities that alerted police. Senior officers reached the crime scene around 12.40 am," Kumar said.

Senior officers reached the crime scene around 12.40 am, he added.

An SIT, comprising officials of the Special Task Force and sleuths of the central district police, has been constituted to supervise the ongoing investigation into the businessman's murder, the DGP said.

The possibility of an old enmity as the cause of killing can't be ruled out, he said, adding police have obtained some crucial leads in the case.

The incident took place when he returned from the Bankipore Club.

"Police have certain crucial leads related to the killer and persons associated with him on the basis of analysis and scrutiny of technical and scientific evidence. Investigation is on", he said.

"Khemka's son was also killed in Hajipur in 2018 in a case related to some land dispute. In the wake of that, security was provided to Gopal Khemka on a payment basis. It was withdrawn in April 2024, and he never requested for security thereafter. After yesterday's incident, police have provided security to his other son, who is a doctor by profession, and other family members," Kumar said.

Police conducted searches at Patna's Beur jail and reportedly quizzed some inmates in connection with the incident.

"Police recovered three mobile phones (with SIM cards), one data cable and a piece of paper on which several mobile numbers were written during searches", a statement by Patna Police on Saturday evening said.

Reacting to the incident, Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries vice-president Ashish Shankar told PTI, "The incident is a matter of serious concern. It puts a question mark on the state's law and order situation. The shooting took place a few metres from Gandhi Maidan police station, but it took several hours for police to reach the spot."

He added, "The incident reminds us of those years when such incidents were considered routine."

In a post on X, Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, said: "A few steps away from the police station in Patna, a prominent Bihar businessman was shot dead! Hundreds of businessmen/traders are being murdered in Bihar every month, but people are not calling it jungle raj. This is called media management and image building exercise by the government."

Bihar Congress Chief Rajesh Kumar told reporters: "The incident has again exposed the state's law and order situation. It's quite surprising that the ruling BJP is not able to save its own family members".

Independent Lok Sabha MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, in another post on X, said, "No one is safe. Criminals are being protected by the current NDA government in the state. Nitish ji, please spare Bihar."