Three consecutive murders, including those of two witnesses, have triggered concern in Bihar as the festive season approaches. A mere two days after a journalist was fatally shot at his doorstep in Raniganj, Araria, for his refusal to retract his testimony in the Gabbu Yadav murder case, where he played a crucial role as a witness, criminals killed a retired schoolteacher in Begusarai and a contractor in East Champaran on Sunday morning. The retired teacher, Jawahar Chaudhary (65), was also the sole witness in the murder of his son, with the trial expected to commence shortly. Police indicated that the retired schoolteacher was taking a morning walk in Bachhwara, Begusarai district, when criminals shot him dead in an isolated location. “”Jawahar died on the spot from a bullet to his head,”” stated Teghra SDPO Ravindra Kumar Prasad to TOI. As per the SDPO, Jawahar had three sons. “”His youngest son, Niraj Choudhary, was killed due to a land dispute in February 2021. Jawahar was a complainant and an eyewitness in the murder case. His second son, Kamal Choudhary, was accused in the case. Jawahar’s eldest son, Pankaj Choudhary, is also in jail over a fraud case. Kamal is out on bail. A land dispute exists within the family. Police are investigating the matter from all angles,”” he added. In East Champaran, the victim, identified as Rajiv Kumar Yadav (35), was returning home from Chakiya Chowk after his morning walk when two unidentified motorcycle-borne criminals shot him dead near Power House Chowk. The perpetrators fled towards Muzaffarpur road after committing the crime. Chakiya SDPO Satyendra Prasad Singh reported the recovery of two empty cartridges at the scene. It’s said that Rajiv worked as an engineer but was functioning as a contractor in the area. Locals stated he was heading home after reading the newspaper at Chakiya Chowk when the criminals inquired about his name and subsequently shot him twice in the chest. Rajiv was taken to a private nursing home in Motihari, where doctors declared him deceased on arrival. Manoj Kumar noted Rajiv’s regular visits to the chowk. The SDPO mentioned that CCTV footage in the area was being reviewed to identify the culprits. The motive behind the murder remained to be established. Even as these incidents kept the police vigilant, another group of criminals targeted a restaurant in Muzaffarpur, unleashing more than a dozen rounds of gunfire and causing patrons to scatter. Reports indicated that the miscreants resorted to firing while around 50 guests were present, celebrating a five-year-old girl’s birthday on Saturday night. Viral videos of the firing showed the miscreants in the restaurant as visitors fled for safety, with some seeking refuge under tables. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. “”Four criminals on two bikes arrived at the restaurant and summoned my brother. Upon being informed of his unavailability, they resorted to gunfire,”” recounted the restaurant owner’s brother Priyanshu to the media on Sunday. Police suggested that business rivalry could be the reason behind the shooting. The surge in criminal incidents prompted the opposition BJP in the state to launch direct criticisms at the current regime, asserting that CM Nitish Kumar, who also holds the home portfolio, had grossly failed in his duties. Interestingly, Nitish recently informed the media that “”criminal incidents in Bihar are fewer than in other parts of the country.”” According to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bihar led in crimes related to land disputes during 2021 and ranked second only to Uttar Pradesh in the number of murder cases. This data paints a concerning picture of the state’s law and order situation. In the category of crimes related to land disputes, Bihar reported 3,336 cases, surpassing Maharashtra’s count of 1,259 cases. Tragically, Bihar witnessed 815 deaths due to land disputes in 2021. Bihar documented 2,799 murder cases in 2021, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list at 3,825 cases. Additionally, Bihar held the highest position in attacks on police and government officials, registering 150 incidents. In the context of attempted murder, Bihar ranked second with 8,393 cases, following West Bengal’s 13,351 cases.
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