Was There Wrongdoing in the Encounter of Arms Smuggler in Patna?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Encounter involving arms dealer Vikas Kumar raises concerns.
- Family alleges wrongful police action.
- Vikas was shot after reportedly engaging police in a gunfight.
- Umesh Yadav's arrest connects to a separate murder case.
- Calls for a thorough investigation into police conduct.
Patna, July 8 (NationPress) Tensions escalated in the Malsalami neighborhood of Patna, Bihar, following the encounter involving Vikas Kumar, known as Raja, who is accused of being an arms trafficker. His family has raised serious allegations against the Bihar STF and SIT, claiming misconduct.
Upon hearing about the encounter, Vikas’s relatives hurried to the scene, expressing their outrage and accusing law enforcement of taking the life of an innocent individual.
His mother argued that despite having a couple of cases against him, Vikas had been working in Chennai and had just returned home.
“Yes, there were incidents involving my son, but he was merely sitting peacefully at the brick kiln when a group of six to seven individuals in plain clothes confronted him and fatally shot him,” she claimed.
She also mentioned that she resides alone in Patna while her son worked elsewhere.
In a moment of rage, Vikas’s mother picked up a stone and threatened journalists present at the scene, as family members obstructed media coverage, resulting in chaos.
Conversely, police representatives asserted that Vikas was a known arms smuggler who had supplied a weapon to Umesh Yadav, the shooter implicated in the murder of businessman Gopal Khemka the previous week.
Reports indicate that law enforcement attempted to encircle Vikas for his arrest, but he allegedly fired at them, prompting retaliatory gunfire that culminated in his death.
Vikas resided in Peer Damaria within Patna City and was purportedly engaged in illicit arms dealings.
This encounter ensued after the apprehension of Umesh Yadav on Monday, who, according to police, was identified in CCTV footage from the Khemka murder investigation.
During questioning, Umesh named Ashok Shah as the individual who contracted Khemka’s murder.
Authorities suggested that more significant developments in the Khemka murder inquiry could follow as investigations continue.
Gopal Khemka was reportedly murdered by Umesh Yadav on July 4, around 11:45 PM, outside his residence at Gandhi Maidan.