Ara: Three bike-borne miscreants shot dead a 32-year-old man over a land dispute when he was going to drop his friend and his son to Ara railway station in Bhojpur district on Wednesday morning. The incident took place near Belaur village under Udwantnagar police station area in the district. The deceased was identified as Dharmendra Kumar, a resident of Pawar village under Pawna police station in the district.According to police, Dharmendra’s friend Raj Kumar, who was riding pillion with his seven-year-old son, Rishav, also sustained a bullet injury in his waist. He is being treated at the PMCH. However, his son escapes unhurt. “I am an electrical engineer and work in Mumbai. I along with my son had reservations in a superfast train for Mumbai on Wednesday. When we were going to Ara railway station on my Dharmendra’s bike to catch the train, three bike-borne miscreants intercepted us and started firing at Dharmendra. When I tried to flee with my little son, they shot me in the waist,” said Raj Kumar at Sadar hospital, where he was initially treated after the incident.Bhojpur SP Raj said, “Prima facie an old land dispute is believed to be the reason behind the incident. Further investigation is underway and raids are going on to nab the culprits. Some of them have been identified and we will arrest them soon.”Meanwhile, angry over the murder, villagers blocked the Ara-Arwal road near Belaur village by keeping the body in the middle of the road for several hours. They were demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and an adequate compensation to the bereaved family. “The blockade was lifted in the late afternoon after senior officials arrived there, assured appropriate action and arrest of the killers at the earliest,” said Jayant Prakash, SHO of Udwantnagar police station on Wednesday evening.
