A 60-year-old man was attacked for resisting some men misbehaving with his granddaughter and a businessman was killed over extortion demands in Nawada district over the past two days.

Ram Bhajju Turia, a resident of Bijaul village in the district around 100km southeast of Patna, was at home with his family around 5pm on Thursday when some Holi revellers barged in. Drunk, the men sprinkled gulal on Turia's minor granddaughter.

As he opposed the youths, the men assaulted Turia with iron rods and wooden sticks. Turia's son Mahendra came to his father's rescue but was attacked as well. Both of them were rushed to Nawada Sadar hospital in critical condition from where Turia, a daily wager, was referred to the Patna Medical College and Hospital. He died during treatment in Patna while Mahendra (35) is battling for his life in the Nawada hospital.

The police have lodged an FIR against four named persons - Chandu Mahto, Pradumna Mahto, Karo Mahto and Manu Mahto - and three unknown persons. Nobody has been arrested yet.

The same day, a youngster identified as Bablu Kumar was shot at and critically injured in a firing by a group of Holi revellers in Bettiah. The criminals opened fire in the Purani Bazar area and the victim was admitted to Bettiah Sadar hopsital for treatment.

On Friday, flourmill owner Sunil Sao (40) was beaten to death at Roh bazaar in Nawada district for refusing to pay a local gang extortion. Roh police station house officer Dharmendra Kumar said Sunil was attacked with sticks and iron rods when he refused to pay extortion to Sanoj Kumar.

The SHO said Sanoj had been demanding Rs 50,000 from Sunil but he was reluctant to pay the money. Sanoj is absconding after the incident, Dharmendra added.

Nawada superintendent of police Vikas Burman said raids were conducted at different hideouts of the criminals involved in the two incidents in the district but none of them could be arrested.

Residents of Bhaurodih village in Bhojpur district are also tensed since Thursday night when a former self-styled area commander of Ranvir Senal, Vinod Pandey, was murdered.

Police said a group of armed men attacked Pandey when he was sitting at his house around 7pm on Thursday. Pandey retaliated, leading to a fierce gun battle between the groups. The deceased was on the hitlist of his rival group after the murder of a CPI-ML(Liberation) worker, Budhram Paswan, at the village a couple of years ago.

The attackers managed to escape taking advantage of the darkness.

The police said Pandey was involved in over a dozen cases of murders carried out by Ranvir Sena, a now-disbanded private militia of landowners. Bhojpur superintendent of police S.C. Jha said additional armed forces have been deployed at the village.