Patna, July 5 (NationPress) Just hours after the tragic murder of Gopal Khemka in Patna late Friday night, Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar informed IANS that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed, led by the city SP, to investigate this high-profile case.

He mentioned that the Special Task Force (STF) is also engaged in the efforts to apprehend Khemka's killers.

According to DGP Vinay Kumar, the murder appears to be linked to a property dispute.

The incident has sparked widespread shock and outrage in Bihar, as Gopal Khemka, the owner of Magadh Hospital and Director of Bankipore Club, was fatally shot in Patna, reminiscent of the 2018 attack on his son.

The shooting occurred around 11:40 P.M. near Panache Hotel in the upscale Gandhi Maidan area.

Khemka was exiting his vehicle near his home when unidentified assailants on a motorcycle opened fire.

Khemka's brother, Shankar Khemka, criticized the police response, claiming, “Officers arrived nearly three hours after the incident, at around 2:30 A.M.”

Shankar recounted that Gopal Khemka was targeted while returning home, mirroring the attack on his son, Gunjan, in 2018 in Vaishali while he was leaving his car near his cotton factory.

With the Bihar Assembly elections approaching, this incident has ignited political tensions, as Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav, visited the Khemka family and challenged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's assertions of effective governance.

Patna’s City SP (Central) Diksha Kumari stated: “On the night of July 4, around 11.40 P.M., we received word that businessman Gopal Khemka had been shot dead near Gandhi Maidan. The crime scene has been secured, and we are actively investigating. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has been called to gather evidence. Khemka sustained one gunshot wound. We have recovered spent bullets from the scene, and we are reviewing CCTV footage for leads.”

In a similar incident in 2018, Gunjan Khemka, aged 38, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants as he exited his vehicle near his cotton factory in Vaishali, a case that still remains unsolved.

This attack on Khemka, a prominent figure in Bihar's business landscape, raises serious concerns regarding law and order in Patna with elections on the horizon.

The increasing crime rate in the state capital adds to worries about the safety of influential citizens.

This recent murder is likely to escalate into a significant controversy and could serve as a crucial topic for the Opposition in the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections, aiming to hold the Nitish Kumar administration accountable for the declining law and order situation in the region.