The Patna police on Monday ordered round-the-clock patrolling in Bakarganj area, a business hub with the most number of jewellery shops in the city, two days after the daylight murder of jewellery shop owner Ravikant Prasad.

"Instructions have been given to the police to ensure there is proper and round the clock patrolling," Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) SSP Manu Maharaaj told The Telegraph. "The area is a big business centre and houses around 300 jewellery shops. Instructions have been sent out to the local Gandhi Maidan police station that police should move in and around the area all the time, particularly between 10am and 6pm, the business hours. The businessmen should feel safe at all times and the police will ensure the same."

A delegation of the Patliputra Sarafa Sangh met SSP Maharaaj on Monday, and was assured of full safety.

"Apart from patrolling during the daytime, the whole area will see special patrolling during the night too," the SSP said. "The delegation had requested that the police should install CCTV cameras in the whole area. The higher-ups will be approached for the same. However, the police have requested the association members to take the initiative and install good quality CCTV cameras themselves in different areas of Bakarganj. Once they do it, the police will sync these to the Dial 100 facility so that we can keep an eye on the day to day activities going on in the area through our control room."

Vinod Kumar Singh of the Sangh told The Telegraph that the businessmen were scared but had faith in the cops.

"We have explained the SSP and he took a proactive approach and listened to everything," Singh said. "He has also assured that every month we will have a meeting with the Gandhi Maidan police station and he too will participate in it. The incident (Ravikant's murder) is shocking but we will cooperate with the cops whenever we are required to."

The police appealed to the businessmen to inform them if they sensed trouble.

"An FIR doesn't need to be lodged," SSP Maharaaj said. "If they feel that they are in danger or someone has asked for extortion from them, they can just send me a message and the police will swing into action. The police have done it in the past too. Everything will be kept secret until the accused is nabbed. A simple text message, a personal meeting or even a WhatsApp message will suffice."

In the murder case of Ravikant, owner of New Sonali Jewellers in Rajapur Pul who was shot dead in his shop on Saturday, a special police team has been formed to trace Durgesh Sharma, leader of the gang believed to be responsible.

"The police don't have a tip-off about Sharma," said a police officer. "It is suspected that he had got out on bail by forgery around three months back. He had committed a murder in February and has been at large since then. The police are prepared to go to any part of the country to nab him. We are sure that he is not in Patna at present. He mainly operates over the phone and instructs his men who execute his orders."

The police, it is learnt, have come to know that Sharma is constructing a shopping complex near the Rajapur Pul area. The cops have also initiated the process of confiscation of Sharma's property. Police sources said nine Durgesh Sharma gang members have been arrested so far.