Top businessman shot dead at posh Patna location

In a sensational murder, one of the prominent industrialists of Bihar, Gopal Khemka, was shot dead by an unidentified scooty-borne assailant in the state capital late on Friday evening just as he reached his house.

- Avinash Kumar

The incident took place at around 11.38 pm at South Gandhi Maidan, a posh locality surrounded by Patna police line, police station, residences of DM, district judge and rural SP.

Khemka, an influential figure in Bihar, was the owner of the Magadh Hospital, one of the oldest hospitals in state, a number of pharmacies and factories. His residence was at Twin Tower, adjacent to the Panache Hotel.

Rattled by the incident, chief minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting on Saturday to review the law and order situation in the state. The meeting was attended by DGP Vinay Kumar and other senior police officers. The CM instructed officials concerned to complete the investigation into the killing of Khemka at the earliest, officials said.

“The CM emphasised that the rule of law is top priority for the NDA government, and warned of strict action against police personnel in case of negligence. He also instructed officials concerned to complete the investigation into the killing of Gopal Khemka at the earliest,” a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said later.

The DGP said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising officials of the Special Task Force and sleuths of the district police, has been constituted to supervise the investigation into the killing.