A prisoner out on parole was shot at inside a hospital in Patna on Thursday morning, further fuelling concerns over Bihar’s spiralling law and order situation ahead of assembly elections.
The parolee was undergoing treatment at Paras hospital in Patna, where he was shot at and injured by unidentified assailants who entered the premises and opened fire on the inmate. The prisoner, whose identity has not been disclosed, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently receiving treatment. His condition remains unknown at this time.
Patna’s Senior Superintendent of Police, Kartikeya Kumar, arrived at the hospital shortly after the attack to review the scene. Speaking to news agency ANI, he confirmed that a detailed investigation is underway to identify and apprehend those involved.
The audacity of the shooting — carried out within the premises of a medical facility in the heart of the state capital — has raised serious questions about security and policing in Bihar. The incident is the latest in a troubling series of violent crimes that have rocked the state in recent weeks.
Spate of Shootings Across Bihar
Earlier this month, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and businessman Gopal Khemka was shot dead outside his Patna residence, despite reportedly seeking police protection for his family. His murder was followed by the killing of another BJP leader, Vikram Jha, who was shot in the Ram Krishna Nagar area. Jha succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital.
On Sunday, two more individuals — a lawyer and a teacher — were gunned down in separate incidents in Patna and Saran districts, respectively.
With the state headed for assembly polls in the coming months, opposition parties have sharpened their criticism of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, citing the repeated attacks, launched a scathing attack on the NDA leadership earlier this week.
“Is anyone in the NDA government even willing to listen to the truth or accept their failures?” Yadav asked, pointing specifically to the daylight murder of BJP leaders in the state capital.