Patna/Madhepura: A 30-year-old PhD student and maternal cousin of RJD MLA Chandrashekhar was shot dead by bike-borne armed criminals near a brick kiln in Godhiyari village under Madhepura town police station on Friday.The victim was identified as Prince Ranjan, son of Sunil Yadav, a resident of Inarwa village under Ghailadh police station. He was pursuing a PhD in English at B N Mandal University and had submitted his thesis a day before the incident.Prince was on his motorcycle and heading towards the university around noon when the criminals, who were allegedly lying in ambush, intercepted him and fired indiscriminately. He sustained serious injuries, fell to the ground and lay in a pool of blood as the assailants fled, brandishing firearms.Locals rushed him to Madhepura Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The incident led to a large gathering at the hospital. Police said no written complaint had been received till evening.Madhepura town SHO Bimlendu Kumar said, “We are yet to receive any written complaint.” He added that police were investigating the incident and working to identify the assailants.An eyewitness, Sunita Devi, said, “I was cutting grass in the field. Meanwhile, sound of firing was heard. On hearing the sound of firing, people nearby reached the spot. A crowd gathered.”Prince’s cousin Kunal Kishore said the family learnt about the shooting while accompanying Chandrashekhar to a programme in Chausa. “There was a program of MLA ji in Chausa. I was going with him. We had reached near Commerce College when we got information about the incident. I immediately called my brother, then a villager picked up his phone and said that Ranjan has died. Then we reached the hospital. Ranjan had no enmity with anyone.”Chandrashekhar demanded immediate arrest of the killers, saying the state was becoming unsafe. Police said the motive was yet to be established and raids were being conducted to identify and arrest the assailants.
