Two SHOs axed as investigation deepens into Dularchand’s murder | Patna News
Patna: Two station house officers (SHOs) — Madhusudan Kumar of Ghoswari and Raviranjan of Bhadaur — were suspended in connection with the murder of strongman-turned-politician Dularchand Yadav in Patna district’s Mokama. The case, which has sent political ripples across Bihar amid the ongoing election campaign, has so far led to the arrest of 35 people.Rural superintendent of police (SP) Vikram Sihag confirmed the suspensions, saying that both officers failed to prevent the crime and did not effectively enforce the Model Code of Conduct. “During the suspension period, they will report to police lines. The statement of the eyewitnesses in the murder case will be recorded on Sunday,” Sihag told this newspaper.Four separate FIRs have been registered in connection with the killing. The first was lodged at Bhadaur police station by the deceased’s grandson, Neeraj Kumar. The second was filed by Jitendra Kumar, a supporter of former MLA Anant Singh, while the third was registered by police based on their own findings. Another FIR was lodged at Pandarak police station following a disturbance during Dularchand’s funeral procession on Friday evening, based on the statement of the circle officer of Pandarak.Dularchand, a former RJD leader and once a close aide of Lalu Prasad, was allegedly attacked by supporters of Anant Singh while campaigning for Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi. A clash reportedly broke out between rival groups, during which Dularchand was shot by an unidentified assailant and later run over by a vehicle.The postmortem report released on Friday detailed the brutal nature of the killing. It confirmed that Dularchand’s ribcage had been crushed after a vehicle allegedly ran over his chest. The autopsy, conducted by a three-member team of doctors in Barh under magistrate supervision, lasted nearly two hours.Dr Ajay Kumar Singh, one of the doctors on the panel, said: “A bullet wound was found near the left ankle joint. The body also showed multiple lacerations and abrasions. These external injuries, however, were not fatal. Internal injuries were present, which appear sufficient to have caused death. The full report, prepared jointly by all three panel members, has been submitted to the authorities. The exact sequence of events at the crime scene remains under investigation.”District officials said the postmortem concluded the cause of death as cardio-respiratory failure due to compression of the lungs and other internal organs. “The situation at the scene is currently normal. Police forces have been deployed. Currently, the culprits are being identified based on video footage,” said an official.
