Patna, July 8: Bihar Police on Tuesday revealed that a property dispute was the primary motive behind the murder of prominent businessman Gopal Khemka, who was shot dead outside his residence on July 4 near Panache Hotel in the Gandhi Maidan area of Patna. The revelation came during a press conference held by Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar.
The police have arrested two key accused—Umesh Yadav, the shooter, and Ashok Sahu, the alleged mastermind. Another associate of the shooter, Vikas, was killed in a police encounter earlier on Tuesday in Patna’s Malsalami area.
DGP Kumar stated that the murder was a premeditated contract killing. Umesh Yadav was promised ₹4 lakh for executing the crime, with ₹50,000 paid in advance and the remaining amount handed over by Ashok Sahu the day after the killing.
Following Umesh’s interrogation, police recovered a 9 mm pistol used in the murder, two magazines, 14 bullets, and 56 live cartridges from a room on the first floor of his house. The motorcycle used during the crime, along with a helmet and mask worn by the shooter to conceal his identity, were also seized.
Investigations revealed that Ashok Sahu, also a businessman, had an ongoing property and personal rivalry with Khemka, including a dispute over the Bankipur Club. The two had clashed in the past, and Sahu had even threatened Khemka during an earlier altercation. Sahu admitted during interrogation that he had previously attempted to have Khemka killed, but that plot failed.
The DGP confirmed that the joint efforts of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Special Task Force (STF) helped crack the high-profile case swiftly. Khemka was the owner of Magadh Hospital, one of Bihar’s oldest private healthcare institutions.
