A 19-year-old man, Ratan Kumar, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the murder of BJP supporter Surendra Kewat in Sheikhpura village, Patna district. Police recovered a country-made pistol and live ammunition from him during the arrest.
Surendra Kewat was shot dead on July 12 while irrigating his field. Four assailants arrived on two motorcycles and opened fire before fleeing. The police are conducting raids to apprehend the remaining suspects.
During interrogation, Ratan confessed to accepting a contract killing worth Rs 2 lakh but claimed he only received Rs 2,000 in advance. City Superintendent of Police (East), Parichay Kumar, said Ratan fled to Deoghar after the murder but denied it during questioning. The SP added the motive stemmed from local political rivalries, as the victim was an active local leader involved in panchayat politics, which disturbed his opponents.
The victim’s wife, Munni Devi, filed a complaint against Ranjit Paswan and former mukhiya Jai Prakash Paswan, naming them as conspirators in the murder.
