Patna: A lawyer was shot dead in public view near Patel Chowk in Katihar on Monday with CCTV footage providing police with critical clues and a possible old dispute emerging as a line of investigation. The killing has also triggered protests by lawyers, who have announced a pen-down strike and vowed not to represent the accused.The victim, Guddu Ansari, 35, practised at Katihar court. He was shot dead around 9am near Patel Chowk in Kumhar Toli under Town police station.Footage of the incident shows three youths surrounding Guddu near a staircase. One of them allegedly forces him to sit on the stairs before firing at him. The attackers then walk away from the spot.Guddu had gone to the market to purchase household items. Locals rushed him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.Katihar superintendent of police (SP) Parichay Kumar said police had gathered clues from CCTV footage and expected to solve the case soon. Teams are examining footage from nearby shops and other locations to identify the suspects and reconstruct their movements before and after the shooting.The victim’s brother-in-law, Mumtaz Alam, suspected the murder stemmed from an ongoing dispute.“About two months ago, Guddu’s sister, Tabassum, had a pathway dispute with a neighbour, Sokhwa, in the Rampada area and filed a police complaint at Town police station,” he said.Mumtaz alleged that Sokhwa’s party had threatened Guddu on the Katihar court premises to withdraw the case.Saddar SDPO Vishal Anand said all angles were being investigated.Following an executive committee meeting, the Katihar Lawyers’ Association declared a “pen-down” strike on Oct 6 as a mark of mourning, with advocates refusing judicial work. They also decided to wear black badges on Oct 7 and vowed that no Katihar advocate would represent the accused in court.
