Patna, April 23: Tension is brewing in areas falling under the Raghopur Assembly constituency in neighbouring Vaishali district, following the killing of three JD (U) supporters at Bahrampur village late on Friday evening, two days ahead of the second phase of panchayat elections.

Raghopur was represented by former chief minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi till 2010 Assembly elections.

Three persons — Yogendra Rai, his nephew Dilip Rai and Madan Das — were killed on the spot, while three others —Chandeshwar Rai, Bhola Rai and Suresh Paswan — suffered bullet injuries when a group of armed men, allegedly led by criminal of Raghopur diara area, Jaipal Rai, opened fire at a tea stall around 9pm on Friday.

Eyewitnesses said that the assailants rushed to the spot in a Bolero, came out of the vehicle and fired indiscriminately on JD (U) supporters. The victims had returned to the shop after electioneering for Manik Chand, whose wife is contesting elections for the post of mukhiya (village head).

Bhola is contesting election for the post of sarpanch. Two of the deceased Chandeshwar and Suresh were said to be relatives of Manik Chand. Manik is considered close to JD (U) MLA from Raghopur Assembly constituency Satish Kumar, who defeated Rabri in last year’s Assembly elections. Two of the seriously injured persons have been admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

Deputy inspector-general (DIG), Tirhut range, Bachchu Singh Meena told The Telegraph a posse of armed police force has been deployed at the village to prevent any untoward incident. “A joint police team of the Vaishali and the Patna police has been set up to apprehend the assailants,” he said.

Meena, who visited the Fatuha police station in Patna rural on Saturday to get details of Jaipal, leader of the gang responsible for the shootout, said that the joint police team headed by a deputy superintendent of police had been assigned to crack the case and book the marauders at the earliest.

“I spoke to my counterparts in Patna and inquired about Jaipal, who lives in Fatuha, about 20km east from Patna, and is wanted in several criminal cases,” he said, adding that it was being ascertained as to how Jaipal was released from jail. The information about those who bailed him out and his advocate was also being gathered.

The DIG said the station house officer of Rustampur police outpost under whose jurisdiction the area comes has already been put under suspension.

“I have issued directive to the Vaishali police to initiate stringent action against the culprits responsible for triple murder and injuries to three others,” he added.

He further said that old cases lodged against Jaipal in Patna and Vaishali districts were also being reviewed. “Instruction has also been given to collect details of Jaipal’s movable and immovable property,” the DIG said.

The police said that the incident was a fallout of an old enmity between Manik Chand and Jaipal. The ganglord was seen moving in the area for the past one week. The locals had submitted petitions at the chief minister’s janata darbar seeking action against Jaipal as they apprehended trouble during the 10-phase election to local bodies, which began on April 20.

“The situation is tense but under control. Heavy police deployment has been made in the area,” Vaishali superintendent of police Siddharth Mohan Jain said.

Director-general of police (DGP) Neel Mani said that about 2.75 lakh “troublemakers and habitual offenders” have signed bonds promising not to disrupt the polling process. Additional security forces would be deployed in the remaining phases of the election, he said, adding extra vigil would be maintained in Naxalite-affected districts in the wake of Maoists’ poll boycott call.

The first round of the panchayat polls held on April 20 witnessed the killing of a police officer in a Maoist attack in Jamui district.

Around half-a-dozen people were injured in clashes between rival groups in various parts of the state, authoritative sources said.