Elderly man shot dead over land dispute in Banka village

Patna: A 70-year-old man was shot dead over a land dispute by two unidentified assailants inside his house at Navtolia village under the Belhar police station area in Banka district on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Surendra Prasad, a resident of Navtolia village.According to police, Surendra was sitting inside his house late on Saturday night when two armed men suddenly barged in and opened fire. He was hit in the abdomen and collapsed on the spot, critically injured. Panic gripped the area after residents heard gunshots. The assailants fled immediately after the shooting. Family members and villagers rushed Surendra to safety and informed the Belhar police station, but he succumbed to his injuries before the police arrived.

Belhar SDPO Ravindra Mohan Prasad and SHO Dinesh Verma reached the spot with a police team and launched an investigation. A forensic team also visited the village on Sunday morning and collected crucial evidence. The body was later handed over to the family after a post-mortem at the sadar hospital.Belhar SHO Dinesh Verma said the murder was suspected to be linked to a land dispute with local villagers. “We are investigating the case from all angles and conducting raids to arrest the accused,” he said.