Patna: A young man preparing for competitive examinations was shot dead at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium ground while on a morning walk on Thursday, the incident once again exposing the deteriorating law and order situation in the state capital.

The 25-year-old identified as Amar Kumar had gone to the stadium ground along with his cousin Awadesh Yadav when the incident occurred. Another morning walker, Uday Kumar, also sustained injuries in the attack and is undergoing treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

"It was around 6.30am, when I and Amar were taking a walk," Awadesh told The Telegraph. "Two groups were having an altercation over some issue. Suddenly, some members of the group who were armed with weapons started firing at the other group.

"There was commotion in the area with the sudden firing in the open ground, with people running helter-skelter in panic to save their lives," he added. "Before I could figure out what is happening, a bullet hit Amar on his chest. He collapsed to the ground."

Awadesh along with some other morning walkers took Amar to Kadamkuan police station, which is located within the premises of the stadium but the police allegedly refused to provide any help.

The officer in charge was later suspended.

Awadesh along with some people then took Amar to PMCH, where he was declared brought dead.

"Amar, who was preparing for competitive examinations such as for the railways and banks, used to live in a private lodge in the Bazar Samiti area," Awadesh said. "He was not a regular morning walker. It was on my advice that he had started morning walks and Thursday was only the second day when he had come for a morning walk at the stadium ground."

Awadesh, who has cleared the written examination for sub-inspector of police, was a regular morning walker.

Amar, who was from Saharsa, was living in Patna for the past one year.

Police sources said that the youths involved in the firing are illegal boarders of Saidpur hostels and some of them live in private lodges. They were having dispute with one Ashish Gupta, who runs a physical training institute in the Bazar Samiti area for sub-inspector hopefuls. Gupta used to conduct physical training at the stadium ground.

"Some youths living at Saidpur hostel and private lodges at Bazar Samiti area for past few months were demanding money from me as I was running a physical training institute. I had ignored their threat as I never gave much importance to their demands," Gupta told The Telegraph.

Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj said: "The police based on complaint lodged by Ashish Gupta have arrested six persons, Shahil Raj, Rohit Kumar, Rahul Kumar, Bablu Singh, Anish Kumar and Aniket, all residents of the Bazar Samiti area."