Bihar DGP says Gopal Khemka’s shooter will be nabbed soon; as more murders follow, Opposition, ally target Nitish government

Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar on Monday (July 7, 2025) said that soon the criminals involved in the murder of businessman Gopal Khemka would be arrested. Mr. Khemka was shot dead by a bike-borne criminal from point-blank range in the State capital, Patna, on Friday (July 4, 2025) night.

Following the murder, the Bihar police formed a special task force (STF) and special investigation team (SIT) to nab the shooter. The police have held multiple raids and have detained over a dozen people on suspicion.

However, the police have not made any breakthrough in the case and the Opposition is mounting pressure on the State government accusing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of losing control over the law and order.

Even National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner Chirag Paswan, who heads Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), lashed out at the Bihar government on Monday (July 7, 2025) over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State saying that it is matter of great concern that murders take place every passing day in Bihar.

Prison raids

Sharing information on the action being taken by the police in the case, DGP Vinay Kumar told the media, “On the suspicion, we have detained over one dozen people in the case and their interrogation is going on. The police are also collecting evidence, and investigation is also being carried out on technical evidence. I expect that soon we will catch the killer.”

The police conducted raids in Patna’s Beur Jail as it is said that the murder is linked to a prisoner in the jail. Asked about it, the DGP said, “These are part of the investigation because criminals are lodged in jail, and they have a lot of information. So, this is a SOP through which we gather information. During these raids, mobile phones were seized, after which action has been taken against jail officials by suspending them.”

The murder comes six and a half years after Mr. Gopal Khemka’s son Gunjan Khemka was shot dead by criminals in Hajipur industrial area of Vaishali district. Mr. Gopal Khemka was shot dead near the Gandhi Maidan police station, about 300 metres away.

Security withdrawn in 2024

The DGP said bodyguards had been provided to Mr. Gopal Khemka in 2018 after his son was murdered on December 22, 2018.

“That time I was in the CID and a charge-sheet was filed against four accused on January 30, 2019, within one month in that case. Bodyguards were with him for six years and from April 2024, they were withdrawn. We are investigating this matter as well as why his security was withdrawn suddenly, and if anyone is found responsible, action would be taken against them,” Mr. Kumar said.

On Sunday (July 6, 2025), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Nitish Kumar government over the murder of the industrialist, who was previously associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) terming Bihar India’s crime capital.

Even as the Khemka murder remains unsolved, three people were murdered in two separate incidents in the State on Sunday (July 6, 2025) night — one in Patna and two in Nalanda district. A private school operator, Ajit Kumar, was gunned down by unidentified criminals in the Khagaul area of Patna, while the double murder took place under the Deepnagar police station in Nalanda. In an indiscriminate firing by a criminal, a 20-year-old girl, Annu Kumari, and a 16-year-old boy, Himanshu Kumar, died.