Businessman Arrested In Gopal Khemka Case Had Threatened Him, Pointed Gun
Bihar businessman Gopal Khemka, who was shot dead outside his home in Patna Friday, had an altercation with another businessman, Ashok Sahu, and the latter had threatened him and even trained a gun at him during the brawl, police have found.
Ashok Sahu, a resident of Nalanda, has now been arrested for allegedly hiring contract killers to bump off Mr Khemka.
According to sources in the police, Mr Khemka and Ashok Sahu had at least two altercations, including one over the election of the Bankipore Club in Patna last year. On one occasion, Ashok Sahu snatched a guard's gun and pointed it at Mr Khemka. He also threatened to teach him a lesson. Other members of the club had intervened and ended the face-off.
Ashok Sahu, it is alleged, paid about Rs 10 lakh to killers to murder Mr Khemka. Late on Friday night, when Mr Khemka was in his car right outside the gate of his residence, a man approached his car, shot him dead and fled the spot.
Police have arrested Umesh, the alleged shooter. Another accused, Vikas, who allegedly accompanied Umesh, was shot dead in an encounter.
Mr Khemka owned Magadh Hospital and several petrol pumps. His son was murdered in Hajipur seven years ago over a land dispute.
The high-profile murder case has put the Nitish Kumar government in a spot at a time when the ruling coalition of JDU and BJP is prepping for the Assembly polls. The Opposition, the RJD and the Congress, are now targeting the state government over Bihar's law and order situation.
The Chief Minister met top officials after the shocking murder and asked them to complete the probe into the businessman's murder at the earliest. He stressed that the rule of law is the government's top priority and warned cops of strict action if there is any negligence.
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Rejecting the states' argument that appointments of law officers were contractual in nature and not public employment, the Court pointed out that the persons chosen lead some of the most important cases involving public interest. The Court also said that while its directions were confined to Punjab and Haryana, 'other states would (also) do well to reform their system of selection and appointment to make the same more transparent, fair and objective'. Subsequently, the BJP government in Haryana passed the Haryana Law Officers' Engagement Act in September 2016. Asked about Vikas Barala's appointment, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress said: 'I do not comment on individuals, but all I can say is that only competent people should be appointed (as law officers).' Another senior state politician said, 'It is commonly known that many of these appointments are political appointments. Of course, many of those who have political or bureaucratic linkages are also bright and competent and make it due to their competence, and not only due to their surnames.' Incidentally, on Thursday, hearing a case on the appointment of Punjab AG Maninderjit Singh Bedi, a Division Bench of the High Court held that 'you cannot succeed in the challenge to an office of Advocate General just by saying he is politically affiliated with some party… That cannot be a disqualification'. Meanwhile, in a Facebook post Thursday, Varnika Kundu, who had accused Vikas Barala of stalking and attempted abduction, said: 'Appointing someone to a public position of power is not just a political decision – it's a reflection of values and standards… Our policymakers run the country; the rest of us are just hoping they remember that they work FOR the INDIAN CITIZEN. What I will speak about is my own case – and the fact that despite months of national media attention, it has dragged on for this long with little progress… I continue to hold faith in the judiciary until the verdict is announced – but I won't deny that faith has wavered.'
