Businessman Gopal Khemka’s Murder Linked To Land Feud, Police Say As Shooter, Mastermind Nabbed In Patna
Bihar Police said they have solved Gopal Khemka's murder, arresting Umesh Yadav (shooter) and Ajay Shaw (financier). A property dispute involving Ashok Saw was the motive.
In a major development, Bihar Police on Tuesday said they have solved the high-profile murder case of businessman Gopal Khemka, attributing the killing to a property dispute gone wrong. At a press conference in Patna, Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar announced the recovery of the firearm used in the murder and confirmed the arrest of key accused Umesh Yadav, the alleged shooter, and Ajay Shaw, who allegedly paid an advance of ₹50,000 to carry out the killing.
“We have recovered the gun, used to shoot at Khemka, besides a large number of cartridges from Yadav’s place. Saw is said to be involved in property business, and prima facie it was a land deal that led him to hire the contract killer,” said the DGP, according to news agency PTI.
Khemka, a well-known figure in Patna’s business circles, was shot dead outside his home in the Gandhi Maidan locality at around 11:40 PM on July 4, seven years after his younger son Gunjan was murdered in Hajipur. His elder son Gaurav, who had survived that earlier attack, has now demanded police protection.
The DGP also said investigators were examining if there was any link between the recent killing and the earlier assault on Khemka’s sons. “We are probing as to whether there was any common thread between Khemka’s killing and the murderous assault on his two sons eight years ago,” he added.
Gopal Khemka Murder: CCTV Helped Identify Shooter, Crime Reconstructed
According to a report by news agency IANS, Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma confirmed that personal rivalry over land and the Bakipur Club were the main motives behind the killing. The main conspirator, Ashok Saw, allegedly gave Umesh Yadav a ₹4 lakh contract—paying ₹50,000 upfront and the remaining ₹3.5 lakh the next morning near JP Ganga Path in Malsalami.
Saw reportedly provided Yadav with a 9 mm pistol, two magazines, 18 live cartridges, a mobile phone, Khemka’s photo, and his car’s registration number.
As per IANS, on the night of the crime, Yadav followed Khemka from Bakipur Club and gunned him down as the latter waited for the gate of his residence to open. He then fled the scene via Jamal Road and Patna Bypass.
CCTV footage from the building helped a Special Investigation Team (SIT) track down the shooter. Local residents in Malsalami confirmed Yadav’s identity, leading to his arrest. The murder weapon, clothing, and helmet used in the attack were found at his home, along with 56 live cartridges of 7.62 bore and 14 cartridges of 9 mm calibre.
Gopal Khemka Murder: Shooter Confessed, Mastermind Arrested in Raid
During questioning, Umesh Yadav allegedly confessed to the murder and named Ashok Saw as the person who orchestrated the plot. Acting on this input, the SIT raided Saw’s flat in Udaygiri Apartment under Kotwali police limits, where a .38 bore pistol, 17 cartridges, property documents, and a mobile phone used to communicate with Yadav were recovered.
Conspiracy To Kill Khemka Was Hatched About 6 Weeks Before Murder
According to IANS, the two had met during a wedding in Nalanda about 18 months ago, and Yadav had since executed multiple tasks for Saw. The conspiracy to kill Khemka was hatched about six weeks before the murder. Initially, Yadav had approached one Vikas Kumar alias Raja to carry out the task, but Raja demanded full cash upfront—prompting Yadav to carry it out himself.
Patna Police have registered an FIR at Gandhi Maidan Police Station under Sections 103 and 27 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
SSP Kartikeya Sharma noted, “The accused planned and executed the murder meticulously, but a dedicated technical analysis and field intelligence led to their arrest within days.”
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