BJP leader Gopal Khemka shot dead outside home in Patna, 6 years after son's similar murder; SIT formed to probe case

Gopal Khemka, Business tycoon and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was shot dead outside his Patna home on July 4 night. DGP Vinay Kumar said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted on this case, which will be headed by SP City Central.

The case resembles to his son Gunjan Khemka who was murdered in December 2018 at the gate of his factory.

According to officials, the incident took place near the 'Panache' Hotel in the Gandhi Maidan police station area while he was returning to his 'Twin Tower' society residence.

“On the night of July 4, at around 11 pm, we received information that businessman Gopal Khemka has been shot dead in the south area of the Gandhi Maidan. The crime scene has been secured, and further investigation is underway... One bullet and one shell have been recovered," ANI quoted City SP Central, Diksha, as saying.

The forensic team has reached the scene where Gopal was killed.

Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav (Rajesh Ranjan) arrived at the place where the murder occured and slammed the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government.

Recent double-murder case in Patna

In a separate incident, two young men were fatally shot near a temple located in the Bikram police station limits, within the Paliganj subdivision of Patna district on June 10. An Apache bike and 12 bullet shells were found at the location.

Police stated that the double homicide occurred close to Guerrilla Sthan on the Manjhauli-Singhara Road. Residents alerted authorities through Dial 112, following which a police team arrived at the scene and took possession of the bodies.

Authorities said that both young men were shot from close range, most likely while they were near the temple, resulting in their immediate deaths. A cellphone retrieved from the pocket of one of the victims helped establish that he was a resident of Baghakol in the Bikram block. According to police, efforts were underway to ascertain the identity of the second individual.

“The bodies of two persons were recovered on the side of Manjhauli-Singhara road under Bikram police station. Prima facie, both persons appear to have been shot dead. Forensic evidence has been collected by the police with the help of the FSL team, and the incident is being investigated with the help of the dog squad team,” they mentioned.

(With inputs from ANI)