Patna, Nov 6 — A suspected shooter in the murder of retired Income Tax Department officer Ram Pukar Singh was injured in an encounter with Bihar Police in Bhojpur district on Friday morning.
The encounter took place near Sarangpur Mor under the Bahoranpur police station area.
The accused, identified as Nirmal Yadav, sustained a bullet injury in his right leg below the knee.
He was subsequently arrested and admitted to Ara Sadar Hospital for treatment.
Bhojpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Awadhesh Dixit said Nirmal Yadav, a resident of Chandwa Housing Colony under Nawada police station, had already been arrested in connection with the murder of the retired officer.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly disclosed the location where he had concealed the weapon used in the crime.
A police team subsequently took him to Sarangpur Mor to recover the firearm.
However, during the operation, Nirmal allegedly opened fire on the police team in an attempt to escape.
"After seeing him open fire, the police warned him to surrender, but he continued shooting. In self-defence, the police retaliated, during which he sustained a bullet injury in his leg. He has been arrested and is currently undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital," SP Awadhesh Dixit said.
The case relates to the murder of Ram Pukar Singh on October 15 near Jain College on Maharaja Hata-Katira Station Road in Ara, under the Nawada police station area.
Singh, a retired Assistant Commissioner of the Income Tax Department and president of the Kshatriya Kalyan Sangathan, was shot dead by unidentified criminals while he was in the area a few weeks ago.
According to police, the assailants fired seven rounds at him, hitting his chest and killing him on the spot.
Following the murder, Bhojpur Police launched an investigation based on statements from the victim's family and evidence collected from the crime scene.
Scientific and technical evidence subsequently helped investigators identify and detain suspects.
Meanwhile, the deceased's wife, Sushila Devi, had alleged that a long-standing dispute over a 14-kattha plot of valuable land was the reason for the murder.
She also claimed that her husband had received death threats before the incident.
In her complaint, she raised allegations against the SHO of Mufassil police station and the Circle Officer (CO), accusing them of having a role in the conspiracy. These allegations are part of the investigation.
Police are continuing their investigation to establish the complete sequence of events and identify all those involved in the murder conspiracy.