Gopal Khema, a renowned businessman of Bihar, was shot dead outside his home in Patna on Friday night, in a brazen crime that has sent shockwaves across the capital city. The murder took place in the Gandhi Maidan police station area. According to reports, the assailants fired at Khemka and fled the scene immediately after the attack.
Khemka, the owner of Magadh Hospital, was associated with several social organisations in Patna. The incident has sent shockwaves across the state.
Murder caught on CCTV
CCTV footage has surfaced capturing the moment Khemka arrived at the gate in his car. A helmeted assailant, already waiting at the spot, opened fire on the businessman while he was still inside the vehicle. The shooter then escaped from the scene on a motorcycle.
Second tragedy in the family
This is not the first tragedy to strike the Khemka family. On December 20 2018, Gopal Khemka’s son, Gunjan Khemka, was also shot dead in the Hajipur industrial area.
On the night of the murder, Khemka had reportedly returned around 11:30 pm from the Bankipur Club. As he stepped out of his car near his apartment, located close to Hotel Panas, gunmen lying in wait ambushed him and opened fire.
MP Pappu Yadav slams police
MP Pappu Yadav visited the crime scene shortly after the murder and met with the grieving family. Visibly angry, he criticised the delayed police response, pointing out that the local police station is located quite close to the site of the incident.
Sharing his outrage on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Yadav posted photos from the scene and wrote, “Jungle Raj at its peak in Bihar. A prominent industrialist, Gopal Khemka, was shot dead near Gandhi Maidan in the state capital! The government should die of shame! Bihar Police should rub their noses in water and commit suicide out of embarrassment."
In another post, Pappu Yadav shared images from the crime scene and expressed sorrow over the family's suffering. “What consolation can I offer this child?” he wrote. “Seven years ago, Gopal Khemka’s son, Gunjan, was murdered. I had gone then to assure the family that justice would be served. If the government had acted decisively against criminals then instead of protecting them, this tragedy could have been prevented.”
Yadav added, "I rushed to the scene as soon as I heard the news. But in this cruel and lawless jungle raj, no one is safe anymore. Bihar has become a sanctuary for criminals. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, please spare Bihar now."
The brazen killing in a high-security area of the capital city has raised serious questions about law and order in Bihar. With two murders in the same family within seven years and no justice delivered in the earlier case, the latest incident has fuelled public anger and highlighted the increasing vulnerability of even influential citizens.
