Ara: A 35-year-old govt school teacher was shot dead by unidentified assailants at his native village Tulsi Chhapra under the Sinha police station area of Bhojpur district on Thursday morning. The victim, identified as Neeraj Kumar Pal, was posted at a govt girls’ school in Farhada village under Barhara block.According to police, Pal died on the spot after sustaining two bullet injuries to his head and neck. The incident took place around 4am when he stepped out of his house to answer nature’s call in a nearby agricultural field.Ara Sadar sub-divisional police officer (SDPO-2) Ranjit Kumar Singh said that the assailants fired two to three rounds at close range before fleeing. “As soon as the incident was reported, police rushed to the spot. Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) personnel have collected evidence, and the district intelligence unit (DIU) team is also assisting in the investigation. Based on some vital inputs, we are hopeful that the culprits will be arrested soon,” he told mediapersons on Thursday.Preliminary investigation indicated that an old dispute with some co-villagers over the construction of a lane and a drain could be the motive behind the killing. “There was an ongoing dispute related to a village lane and drainage work. The deceased had also opened a small shop in the village about six months ago. All possible angles are being examined,” the SDPO added.Meanwhile, the victim’s wife, Premila Devi, alleged that suspicious people had been loitering near their house for the past few days. “Some unknown men were frequently seen around our house, including this morning. They covered their faces with gamchhas, so we could not recognize them,” she said, breaking down.“After hearing gunshots, I alerted my son and father-in-law. They ran to the field and found Neeraj lying in a pool of blood.”Bhojpur superintendent of police Raj said senior police officers, including the deputy superintendent of police, were monitoring the investigation. “A case has been registered, and raids are on to identify and arrest those involved,” he added.
