Gaya, October 23 — Two men identified by police as main accused in the murder of a police sub-inspector's son in Gaya were injured in a police encounter near Bichhi village in the Mufassil police station area of Manpur, according to police and local reports on Friday. Both men were hit in the legs in retaliatory police fire and were taken to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) in Gaya for treatment.

Source: Kanchan Kranti

Senior Superintendent of Police Sushil Kumar confirmed the encounter, Kanchan Kranti reported. Police identified the injured accused as Shyam Bihari, alias Gaurav, and Kala, and said weapons were recovered from the spot. The two are being treated under police custody at ANMMCH. NewsDarpan reported that, according to the police account, the accused allegedly opened fire on the police team during the operation and were shot in the retaliatory action that followed.

ANMMCH superintendent Dr A. P. Anand said the bullets lodged in the injured men's legs had been removed and that their condition was stable, with treatment continuing under doctors' supervision, Dinman Times reported.

Source: Dinman Times

The October 19 shooting

The encounter is linked to the shooting late on the night of October 19 near Nauranga Aahar in Siddharthpuri Colony, Manpur, in which gunmen targeted the two sons of Sub-Inspector Sudhanshu Shekhar, alias Pintu Singh, who is posted in Motihari. Ranu, 30, died in the attack, while his elder brother Monu, 32, was critically injured and is being treated in Patna. Police recovered spent cartridge casings from the spot and detained suspects for questioning at the time, IANS reported.

Family members alleged that the brothers had been called to the spot by phone amid a neighbourhood dispute. Police have not officially confirmed the motive, and investigators have said the exact sequence of events is still being established. The allegations against the injured men remain allegations at this stage.

Gaya police and Special Task Force teams had been carrying out raids to arrest the accused in the case. Two other accused had been arrested earlier, and police had also earlier arrested Narendra Singh, a retired sub-inspector and the father of injured accused Shyam Bihari, Kanchan Kranti reported. Police say questioning of the injured accused is expected to clarify the alleged conspiracy behind the murder and the role of others who may have been involved. The investigation is continuing.