Protesters block the Darbhanga Junction-Laheriasarai road in Darbhanga on Sunday. Picture by Mohan Mahato

Darbhanga, June 5: A group of traders today blocked the Darbhanga Junction-Laheriasarai road at Benta Chowk from 10am to 12noon demanding arrest of the criminals behind the murder of a medical storeowner.

The shopkeeper, Papu Singh, was shot dead at 10.30 last night. A case has been lodged at Balbhadrapur police station.

When the body of Singh was being brought back after post-mortem this morning, several medicine shop owners blocked the path of the vehicle carrying it around 10am. Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, the owner of Lakshmi Medico, said the blockade would be lifted after the administration assured the shop owners of security.

City superintendent of police Kumar Aikley and sub-divisional officer Sanjay Kumar Singh rushed to the spot. Aikley said sub-inspector Surendra Singh has been removed from Balbhadrapur police station. Harendra Kumar has been asked to take charge.

The vice-president of Darbhanga Chemist and Druggist Association, Jitendra Kumar Chaudhary, demanded security for Singh’s family, action against police officers of Balbhadrapur police station and compensation to Singh’s family. He threatened indefinite strike of medical shop owners if the criminals were not arrested within 48 hours.