Man shot dead over land dispute in Begusarai

Begusarai: A 35- year-old man Ajit Rai was shot dead while his brother sustained bullet injury following a dispute over cultivating a land in Chamtha diara village under Bachhwara police station area of the district on Monday.

Begusarai DSP (headquarters) Nikhil Kumar said violence erupted when one Lakshman Rai was tilling a land in the village. “One Pramod Rai of the same village claimed that the plot belonged to him. He tried to stop Lakshman from cultivating the plot which led to a quarrel between the two,” he said.

Locals said Pramod and his supporters even engaged in firing to scare away Lakshman from the spot. According to them, even as Lakshman returned to his house Pramod along with his supporters followed him and even pelted stone at his brother’s house. Lakshman’s nephew Dipak Rai said he along with his brother Ajit were at the house when Pramod and his supporters started pelting stone.

“We came out and asked Pramod to stop vandalising our house as we had no issue with him. However, he got infuriated and started firing indiscriminately resulting in Ajit’s death. I also sustained bullet injury in my hand,” Dipak said. Police said the case is being investigated.