A retired Indian Army soldier, Tejnandan Rai, was shot dead in broad daylight in the Manpur Bairiya locality of Patna on Thursday. The incident occurred while Rai was supervising the measurement and boundary construction of a plot he purchased over two decades ago. The prime suspect, identified as the grandson of the original land seller, allegedly opened fire after a brief confrontation at the site.
How did a 21-year-old land deal lead to this violence?
The dispute involves a piece of land that Tejnandan Rai bought from Chokha Rai back in 2005. Despite the transaction being over twenty years old, Chokha Rai’s grandson, Vikas Kumar, had recently started staking a claim to the property. On the day of the incident, Tejnandan Rai was at the location to oversee the construction of a boundary wall. Vikas Kumar arrived at the scene, an argument broke out, and he reportedly fired three rounds at the retired veteran from close range. Rai was rushed to a nearby private nursing home in critical condition but passed away during treatment.
What is the current status of the police investigation?
Patna Police have registered an FIR and initiated a search for the accused, Vikas Kumar, who fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Senior police officials, including City SP Parichay Kumar and SDPO Ranjan Kumar, visited the crime scene to coordinate the probe. The following details have been confirmed by the investigating team:
- Police recovered three empty bullet casings from the crime scene in Manpur Bairiya.
- Multiple raids are being conducted across the Gopalpur and Phulwari Sharif areas to arrest the suspect.
- Technical and scientific teams have been deployed to gather evidence and track the accused.
- The victim was a retired soldier who was currently working for a private company in Odisha.
