Patna: Police on Monday arrested two accused in the sensational double murder of brothers Manish Kumar and Manjeet Kumar, who were shot dead during a wedding reception at Shahpur village under Gopalpur police station on Feb 22. The accused allegedly confessed that the killings were linked to a long-standing land dispute. The arrested men—Amarjeet and Chandan—were nabbed in Bhojpur district and brought to Patna for interrogation.City SP (East) Parichay Kumar said that during questioning, both accused confessed to orchestrating and executing the crime. “The brutal killings stemmed from a decade-old land dispute dating back to 1933 over six bighas of prime land valued at around Rs 72 crore. A court verdict delivered four months before the incident ruled in favour of the victims’ family, prompting the rival side to allegedly plan the murders to eliminate the claimants and reclaim the property,” he said.According to police, the victims had attended the wedding reception of Vicky, son of local resident Daulat Rai, which was being held in a field where a large feast was underway and several villagers were present. Around 9 pm, 10–12 armed men suddenly surrounded the brothers. Following a heated argument, the assailants opened indiscriminate fire, firing over 24 rounds and triggering panic.Both Manish and Manjeet sustained multiple gunshot wounds—five to six each—to the head and chest. Manish died on the spot, while the critically injured Manjeet was rushed to hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.Police investigations revealed that Amarjeet was the mastermind behind the attack and carried it out with the help of Chandan and six to seven other accomplices. Five to six pistols were used in the crime—some old, others allegedly purchased recently from an acquaintance for Rs 3,000.The SP said that after the crime, several accused scattered—some remained in Bihar while others fled to Jharkhand and other places—but were tracked using technical inputs and initially located in Bhojpur district.“An FIR has been lodged against 18 people. So far, direct involvement has been established for members of two families. At least six to seven accused are still absconding, and police teams are conducting raids to arrest them,” Kumar said. He added that no contract killing angle had emerged and that the murders were solely the result of the protracted land feud.
