Patna: A 30-year-old farmer was shot dead by a gang of criminals in Maoist-hit Aurangabad district late Saturday night, triggering violent protest by residents on Sunday.

Police said the gang descended on the farmhouse of Mithilesh Kumar at Rukandi village under the jurisdiction of Goh police station in Aurangabad district around Saturday midnight and pumped at least two bullets into his body.

Mithilesh was sleeping in his farmhouse when the assailants attacked him.

A few residents rushed to the spot after hearing the gun shots but the assailants had managed to escape. Mithilesh was admitted to the local primary health centre where doctors declared him brought dead.

As the news spread in the region on Sunday morning, a number of residents gathered at Rukandi village and later blocked the Goh-Rafiganj Road.

The traffic on the busy road remained disrupted for over five hours because of the blockade.

The blockade was removed after senior police officers intervened. Aurangabad superintendent of police Satya Prakash said the motive of the assailants behind the young farmer's murder was yet to be ascertained.

A special investigation team led by a deputy superintendent of police has been constituted to solve the mystery behind the murder.

The SIT members carried out raids at different hideouts of the criminals involved in the incident.

In another incident, a middle-aged farmer identified as Ramji Ram was stabbed to death by unidentified criminals at Dharmakat Badhua village under the jurisdiction of Pusa police station in Samastipur on Sunday.

Agitated over the incident, a group of local residents blocked the road near Gadhia Chowk and paralysed traffic for over three hours.

The protesters demanded immediate arrest of the criminals involved in the incident.

Police said one of the attackers has been identified as Govind Kumar alias Sonu and raids were underway to arrest him. Govind had earlier eloped with the deceased's daughter, which led to enmity between the two families.

Police said Govind was pressuring Ramji for marriage with his daughter, which he had opposed.

"In a fit of rage, Govind attacked Ramji with a knife leading to his death," an investigating officer said.