Patna: The accused in the murder of former MLC and BJP leader Manoj Kumar Singh's nephew during a road rage incident in Siwan district was shot and injured in police firing early Thursday morning while allegedly trying to flee. He was shot in both legs and referred to Patna for treatment.
Incident Details
The accused had allegedly opened fire on Harsh Singh, 28, and his brother-in-law Chandan Singh on April 29 evening. Harsh died in the attack, while Chandan remains in critical condition and has been referred to Patna. This marks the second such police action in two days. A murder accused was shot dead in Bhagalpur, while another has been injured in Siwan.
Victim's Background
Harsh was the nephew of former MLC, Siwan Cooperative Bank chairman and BJP leader Manoj Kumar Singh. His father Chandan, who was also injured in the firing, remains critical.
Accused Identification
Police identified the accused as Chhotu Kumar Yadav, son of Hira Lal Yadav, a resident of Hathaura village under Hussainganj police station. According to police, Chandan and Harsh were waiting by the roadside on Wednesday evening to attend a tilak ceremony when a car hit their vehicle from behind, triggering a dispute. The argument escalated and the assailants allegedly fired at them near Laxmipur-Andar Dhala overbridge under Town police station limits.
Police Investigation
A team led by Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha, including Sadar SDPO Ajay Kumar Singh and Town SHO Avinash Kumar, was formed. CCTV footage and technical inputs helped identify the suspect vehicle and the accused. Chhotu was detained and interrogated. He admitted three more people were involved. When police took him to recover the weapon, he suddenly freed himself, pulled out a gun and fired. In self-defence, police fired three rounds. Two bullets hit his knees, Jha said.
Criminal History
Chhotu has a criminal history and was recently released from Chhapra jail. Harsh, the only son of his family, was pursuing LLB in Patna and had come to Siwan for the function. Earlier, on April 29, Ramdhani Yadav, accused in the murder of Sultanganj Nagar Parishad executive officer Krishna Bhushan Prasad in Bhagalpur, was shot dead in a police encounter.
