Patna (Bihar) [India], July 9 (HBTV): Bihar Additional Director General (ADG) Kundan Krishnan on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of the shooter involved in the murder of businessman Gopal Khemka and said that police have evidence against him.

ADG Krishnan stated that authorities also have proof against Ashok Sahu, who allegedly gave the contract to kill Khemka. He added that multiple motives are being considered and call records are under scrutiny.

'The facts that have come in the investigation are that the shooter has been arrested, and we have the evidence against him. We also have proof against Ashok Sahu, who gave the contract to kill the victim. There can be many reasons behind this; many call records have to be checked,' said Krishnan.

Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising personnel from the STF and Patna police, was formed and worked on leads from the crime scene and CCTV footage.

'Based on the clues found at the crime scene and CCTV surveillance, the information about the motorcycle, and the description of the shooter, all city CCTV cameras were searched. Till the motorcycle was traced, the SIT team went there. After identifying the motorcycle, the owner was identified and was arrested,' said the DGP.

SIT chief Diksha said the Patna police acted swiftly and deployed both technical and human resources immediately after the incident.

'The Patna police acted very fast on the investigation. The moment we got the information, the whole team was on the ground to do the work. All the technical and human resources were used. Based on all the evidence, the major involvement was of one person. Only the rest of the information was given to him from here and there. If we find something else related to this, then an investigation will be done,' she said.

Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary called the incident 'unfortunate' and blamed administrative negligence for the killing.

'What happened to Gopal Khemka is very unfortunate, and somewhere it was due to the negligence of the administration. The administration could not do its job thoroughly, which is why such an incident occurred in the heart of Patna, Gandhi Maidan. This incident has served as a wake-up call for the government, and somewhere, the administration is working with strength. The investigation is moving in a positive direction. The government needs to work with greater resolve because when such a security lapse happens in your state, it is a matter of shame for everyone,' she said.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also addressed the media on Tuesday, stating that action had been taken and that those responsible would face strict punishment.

'Action has been taken. No one will escape the Gopal Khemka incident. Umesh Yadav killed him. A complete inquiry is being made. All the revelations have been made. All those who have supported this will have to rot in jail,' said Choudhary.

He further added: 'The police are completely independent. If someone is responding to the police, then the police are completely free to reply.'

Earlier in the day, one of the accused in the murder case was killed in a police encounter near Damaiya Ghat in Patna.

The accused, identified as Vikas alias Raj, was allegedly the arms supplier to the main accused. According to police, the encounter occurred around 2:45 am under the jurisdiction of Malsalami police station. A pistol and a cartridge were recovered from the scene, and the body was sent to Nalanda Medical College for post-mortem.

Businessman Gopal Khemka was shot dead near the main gate of his residence in the Gandhi Maidan area of Patna on July 4. He had earlier requested police protection for his family.

(ANI)