Patna, Sept. 10: An irate mob today torched a police patrol vehicle and resorted to vandalism on National Highway 84 in Buxar district to protest the murder of a trader, Jahid Khan, by unidentified criminals late on Friday night.

The victim, a resident of Naya Bhojpur village under Dumraon sub-division, was shot dead by unidentified assailants while he was asleep in his shop located near Naya Bhojpur police outpost. The incident came to light early in the morning when some residents noticed blood oozing from the shop.

As the news of the murder spread in the area, a large number of people gathered at the spot and blocked NH-84. The agitators demanded the arrest of the culprits and compensation to the deceased’s family. They pelted stones at the policemen. The mob became so furious that it torched the police patrol car belonging to Naya Bhojpur police outpost and damaged the vehicles parked on the premises of the police outpost. Additional forces rushed to the spot to contain the situation.

Traffic on the Buxar-Patna road remained disrupted for about six hours. The roadblock was removed and normality was restored only after the intervention of the district magistrate and the superintendent of police, who assured to bring the assailants to book at the earliest.