Tragedy Strikes Bihar: 2 dead, 4 injured in shooting linked to love affair after Chhath celebrations

In a tragic incident in Lakhisarai, Bihar, two members of a family, Chandan Jha and Rajnandan Kumar, were shot dead while returning from a Chhath Puja ceremony. Four others, including Lovely Kumari, Preeti Kumar, Durga Kumar, and Shashi Kumar, were injured and are undergoing treatment. The Superintendent of Police, Pankaj Kumar, stated that the motive behind the shooting is linked to a love affair, where the accused, Ashish Chaudhary, wanted to marry a girl from the victims’ family but was denied permission.

#WATCH | Bihar: Lakhisarai SP Pankaj Kumar says “The incident took place in Punjabi Mohalla. 6-7 members of a family were returning from Chhath Ghat when a man, Ashish Chaudhary who used to stay in front of the victim’s house opened fire on them. Six people were shot, out of… pic.twitter.com/CcBy18hTco

— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2023

Chaudhary, who lived near the victims, opened fire on the family members in Punjabi Mohalla. The police have launched raids to arrest him and have already recovered the murder weapon. The injured are in critical condition, with three of them being shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital.

The incident has taken a political turn, with the BJP criticizing the ruling Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging a rise in criminal dominance since the alliance with RJD, stating, “Bihar is turning into Jungle Raj.” The BJP was previously in power in Bihar until Nitish Kumar joined hands with RJD in August last year.

#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan: BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Lakhisarai firing incident; says, “In Lakhisarai, when some members of a family were returning after offering Arghya (Chhath Puja ritual), they were shot incessantly and they were attacked without any fear of… pic.twitter.com/T9U1LDFsSo

— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2023

The police are questioning two other suspects, and visuals shared by ANI depict a tense situation with armed officers in the narrow lanes of Kabaiya Police Station limits. Authorities have appealed for calm amid the unsettling turn of events.