Patna, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) A tea and snack vendor and his wife were shot dead by unidentified armed criminals in the early hours of Thursday in the Ismailpur police station area of Bihar's Naugachia sub-division, triggering widespread outrage among villagers.
The deceased, identified as Ranjan Mandal and his wife, Kiran Devi, were sleeping inside their shop near a local market when the assailants attacked them.
The criminals allegedly shot Ranjan first and then chased his wife as she fled towards their nearby house.
Kiran Devi was shot twice in the eyes and died on the spot, according to villagers.
The double murder sparked tension in the area, with thousands of villagers gathering at the scene and preventing the police from taking the bodies for post-mortem examinations.
The protesters raised slogans against the police administration and demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.
The villagers said they would not allow the bodies to be removed until the criminals were arrested and the authorities provided assurances of justice to the bereaved family.
The incident has also raised questions about the functioning of the local police, as the two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of Ranjan Mandal's brother went missing under mysterious circumstances two days earlier.
Despite the family approaching the police, the child remained untraced, villagers alleged.
Angry residents questioned how criminals could carry out the double murder while the missing child had yet to be traced.
They alleged that the incidents reflected a deteriorating law-and-order situation in the area.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sayam Raza reached the spot with a large police contingent to assess the situation and pacify the agitated villagers.
Police teams from Ismailpur and Gopalpur police stations were also deployed at the scene.
Police personnel inspected the crime scene and recovered empty bullet casings.
Investigators have launched a search operation to identify and arrest the assailants based on local inputs and other evidence gathered during the preliminary investigation.
The situation remained tense as police officers attempted to persuade the protesters to allow the bodies to be taken for post-mortem examinations.
Source: IANS
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