Patna: Two unidentified assailants shot at Ramesh Kumar Singh, a journalist associated with a vernacular daily, late Thursday night in Pachrukhi police station area of Siwan district.The attack occurred around 11.30pm, near the closed sugar mill at Bhawani Mor, while Singh was returning to his home at Jasoli Kharag village on his motorcycle. According reports, Singh attended a wedding in Siwan city in the evening, then he went to his shop at Bhawani Mor to collect his bike, before heading home. As soon as he reached the closed sugar mill, two men on a motorcycle overtook him from behind and opened fire. A bullet struck him in the stomach, and he collapsed on the road.Hearing the gunshots, local people rushed him to the Siwan Sadar Hospital, where he received first aid. Due to his serious condition, doctors referred him to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for advanced treatment.Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha visited the crime spot and met Singh at the sadar hospital to gather details. Describing it as a case of personal rivalry at first glance, the SP said all angles are under serious investigation. “A forensic team has been called to the spot to collect evidence, raids are underway based on Singh’s statement, and a special team has been formed to arrest the perpetrators,” he said.In his statement to police from the hospital, Singh said he could not identify the attackers due to the sudden nature of the assault in the darkness. He suspected a personal enmity linked to a past threat. In 2022, while in jail for a gang war case, a man from his village allegedly contracted someone to have him killed. The then Pachrukhi police station in charge informed the jail superintendent about the plot. Singh believes the individual, now out of jail and living abroad, may have orchestrated the attack through his brother, who resides in the village and manages affairs locally.
