RJD leader shot dead in Patna ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, property dispute suspected

Tension gripped Patna’s Munnachak locality late Wednesday, September 10 night after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rajkumar Rai, was gunned down by unidentified assailants.

According to police, Rai, who sustained six bullet injuries, was attacked by two bike-borne shooters near his residence while stopping to buy food. He was immediately rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Confirming the murder, Patna SP (East Range) Parichay Kumar said Rai was politically active and also involved in land-related business. Investigators recovered six spent bullet shells from the crime scene, while CCTV footage captured two suspects fleeing after the attack.

Senior officers, including ASP Sadar Abhinav Kumar, Kankarbagh SHO Abhay Kumar, and Chitragupt Nagar SHO, reached the spot with additional police forces. A case has been registered, and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has begun collecting evidence.

Police sources revealed that Rai hailed from Raghopur in Vaishali district but had been residing in Munnachak. Preliminary inquiries indicate that the killing may be linked to property disputes. Statements from family members and eyewitnesses are being recorded, while investigators are also analyzing Rai’s mobile phone for leads.

The brazen murder of a political leader has triggered shock and fear in the locality. Police have launched an intensive search operation to trace and apprehend the attackers.