Man shot dead while returning home after court appearance

Ara: A 45-year-old man, Suraj Rai, was shot dead while returning to his village late on Wednesday after appearing as a witness in a court case earlier in the day. His 22-year-old nephew, Deepak Kumar, sustained a gunshot injury to his leg in the attack.Police said Suraj had attended a hearing at an Ara court and later spent the evening at a relative’s house before setting out on foot for his village, Englishpur, under Babura police station. The attack took place near Dharmpura village under Koilwar police station.Ara sadar SDPO-2 Ranjit Kumar Singh said, “The injured youth, Deepak, has told the police that two bike-borne miscreants shot at his uncle who died on way to the Sadar hospital, Ara while he who has sustained gunshot injury in his leg is undergoing treatment at the Sadar hospital Ara.

Though he has not told the names of the assailants to the police yet. Prima facie the reason behind the incident seems to be an old land dispute with his co-sharers.

However, only after the formal statement of the injured man to the police, anything can be said in this regard. Further investigation is underway.”A family member alleged the attackers were relatives involved in an ongoing land dispute. “My brother and my uncle had gone to the Ara court on Wednesday to appear as witnesses in a case lodged by my brother in April 2026. When they were returning home, they were shot at by my elder uncle’s family members,” the family member said.According to the family, Suraj had remained unmarried because of a skin disease and had divided his share of ancestral land equally between his two brothers, but the dispute over the property continued.