In a chilling murder case that rocked the legal community in Bihar, advocate Jitendra Kumar Mehta was shot dead on July 13 while returning home in broad daylight on Ashok Rajpath, Patna. Within 48 hours, police arrested eight individuals, including the prime accused and Mehta’s own son-in-law, Mohd Shoaib alias Sonu.
According to Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma, Shoaib conspired to kill Mehta due to long-standing family disputes. Mehta had strongly opposed the relationship between his elder daughter and Shoaib, an AC mechanic. Despite their 2022 court marriage, the family discord escalated, leading Shoaib to hire contract killers for Rs1.5 lakh.
The shooters, Aditya Kumar and Niranjan Kumar, carried out the murder using a stolen motorcycle, with Aditya firing the fatal shots. Their handlers, Akash Kallu and Mohd Ali, arranged the logistics, while others assisted in the planning and getaway.
Police recovered the murder weapon—a pistol—along with five live cartridges, two magazines, and the stolen vehicle. Notably, the killers were paid only Rs10,000 for the execution of the crime.
SSP Sharma stated that while Shoaib has been arrested and his role confirmed, no direct evidence has yet linked Mehta’s daughter to the murder plot. Shoaib was reportedly already married with children at the time of his court marriage to Mehta’s daughter.
Investigations continue, with police probing the criminal backgrounds of all arrested individuals.
