Patna: The incident on Thursday morning, in which a morning walker died and another was injured, indicates that criminals have lost all fear of the police.
The firing happened at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium ground which was full with morning walkers and which houses the Kadamkuan police station and a CRPF unit.
"The incident is shocking! We had never imagined that criminals will operate in full public view. Today's incident indicates that there is total collapse of law and order in the state capital," said Sudhakar Mehta, a resident of the Rajendra Nagar area.
Residents of Rajendra Nagar, Nala Road and Bazar Samiti area generally go to the stadium ground for morning walks. "Earlier, such incidents would happen at night and at isolated places," Mehta added. "But now we are afraid of even going out for morning walks as you don't know when a bullet will hit you."
Last week, four criminals barged into the house of an under-secretary, Rajeev Kumar, at the high security area of R-block road number 2, and killed the government official when he resisted. The criminals looted Rs 40,000 and jewellery from Rajeev's house.
Incidents of loot, extortion and snatching have become regular features in the past few years in the Bazar Samiti area. The area houses the Saidpur hotels of Patna University which has been encroached by illegal boarders, private lodges, and mushrooming coaching institutes.
Many a times the police look the other way fearing retaliation from students.
The stadium ground where the firing happened comes under Bahadurpur police station, but the Kadamkuan police station is located on the stadium premises. Sources said that after the firing, the Kadamkuan police station personnel did not head for the spot immediately as the area is under the Bahadurpur police station's jurisdiction.
Senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj has suspended assistant sub-inspector Arun Paswan, the officer on duty at Kadamkuan police station. "We have also directed police stations to take action in any criminal cases and they should not limit themselves to jurisdiction," Maharaaj added.
