Key suspect in Bihar businessman Gopal Khemka murder killed in encounter

A key suspect in the murder of industrialist Gopal Khemka was killed in a gunfight with the police in Patna's Damaria Ghat area in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said.

Vikas alias Raja (29), the suspect, was wanted in several other criminal cases as well, they said.

Acting on a tip-off, the team of officers probing the murder case reached Damaria Ghat around 2.25 am in search of Vikas, an official said.

"On spotting the police personnel, he tried to escape and also opened fire. The officers retaliated, and he was killed," the police official said.

No police personnel sustained any injury, he added.

A pistol, a spent and a live cartridge were recovered from the spot, the official said.

"It is suspected that Vikas, a resident of Malslami locality of the city, provided the weapon that was used in the murder of Khemka," he said.

Police have already arrested the gunman, identified as Umesh Rai, and detained another person who is suspected of hiring the contract killer.

"The contract killer was arrested in Patna. The investigation is in progress. We will share more details in due course," said the official.

Khemka was shot dead outside his residence in the city's Gandhi Maidan locality on Friday morning. Seven years ago, his son was killed in Hajipur.

The ruling JD(U) hailed the police and stated that with Nitish Kumar as the chief minister, no criminal will be spared.

"Bihar Police have made a major breakthrough and almost cracked the case. The contract killer has been arrested, and another accused was killed in a police encounter. Police have done a commendable job," JD(U)'s national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said.

"I must tell the opposition that in the rule of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, those found indulging in criminal activities will not be spared at any cost. The CM monitors every incident," he added.