Bhagalpur, June 10: Tension gripped Munger township today as assailants shot at and severely wounded an official of a private firm engaged in the construction of a rail cum-road overbridge across the Ganga.

The official, Raj Kumar Dutta (40), is critically wounded and is being treated at Patna Medical College and Hospital. Police have begun investigations to ascertain the cause of the shooting, which, according to sources, was the handiwork of an extortion or rangdari gang.

Sources in Munger said two to three armed youths riding a motorcycle fired four rounds on Dutta, a native of Chousapatti in Madhubani district, around 10am. Dutta is the store-keeper of KSR company, a contract firm working on the construction of pillars of the rail-cum-road overbridge at Munger.

The incident happened around 10am near Laldarwaza locality where the construction of the bridge is going on.

Some workers of KSR said local goons had stared demanding rangdari. “We had informed our seniors who subsequently told the police,” said a worker.

No officer of the company was available for comment. The police, however, denied receiving any such complaint.