PATNA: A journalist working with a leading Hindi newspaper was seriously injured when criminals shot at him in north Bihar’s Siwan district late Thursday night. He has been referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in critical condition.
Police said two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire indiscriminately at the journalist, Ramesh Singh, near Bhawani Mor under Pachrukhi police station limits. A bullet pierced his stomach, causing him to collapse on the spot.
Locals rushed him to Sadar Hospital, Siwan, in a critical condition, from where doctors referred him to Patna. Siwan Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar Jha, the sub-divisional police officer (Sadar-1), and an FSL team inspected the crime scene soon after the incident.
According to preliminary reports, Singh, a resident of Jasauli, had gone to attend a wedding ceremony at a marriage hall in Pakdi Bangali. While returning home late at night, the assailants fired at him and fled, taking advantage of the darkness.
SP Jha said the motive behind the attack is yet to be ascertained and a team has been formed to identify and arrest the attackers. The incident has revived memories of the killing of senior journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, who was shot dead in Siwan on May 13, 2016, a case later handed over to the CBI amid public outrage.