Two policemen were killed on Monday morning allegedly by one of their colleagues apparently over a leave dispute at Bikram block office, around 45km from Patna.

Gunshots were heard at the block office around 6am. A team from Bikram police station reached the spot within 20 minutes and saw havildar Ram Vishnu Yadav and constable Sadanand Kumar lying on the ground with bullet injuries. The duo were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared brought dead.

Havildar Ram and constable Sadanand lived in a room at the block office with four other colleagues. Barring Ram, the rest were constables.

Constable Mukesh Rajak, who shared the room with Ram and Sadanand, told the police team in the morning that the two cops had opened fire at each other. But senior officers suspected his version of the incident and quizzed him. In the evening, the police claimed that Rajak had killed the duo.

Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jitender Rana confirmed that constable Rajak had been taken into custody based on circumstantial evidence. 'Rajak is being interrogated now. Dispute over proceeding on leave could have led to the death of the cops,' the SSP said.

Havildar Ram and constable Sadanand were hit by a bullet each, shot from a .303 rifle. One bullet passed through Ram's back and another through Sadanand's chest.

Forensic experts visited the Bikram block office later. 'We have requested for immediate ballistic examination of the rifle and empty cartridges,' SSP Rana told The Telegraph.

Six policemen were on duty at the block office. 'Of them, three were put under suspension on the basis of a report against them,' the officer said.

A total of 21 policemen posted in Patna were suspended by the SSP as they had proceeded on leave during Holi. The state police headquarters had cancelled leaves of all policemen during the festival of colours. But the suspended cops had flouted the directive.

A source said prima facie there could be two reasons behind the shocking death of the cops - both leave related.

A policeman said: 'First, constable Rajak could have gone on leave during Holi and feared action after 21 policemen were suspended. Havildar Ram was in charge of the attendance register in which all the six cops deployed at the block office had to sign each day.

'Rajak perhaps wanted to fill up the empty spaces (the time when he was on leave) in the register, which Ram opposed. In a fit of rage, Rajak could have picked up the rifle and shot Ram dead. Constable Sadanand might have surfaced after hearing the gunshot and Rajak could have killed him fearing him to be a witness to his first crime. After this, Rajak could have cooked up a story about both shooting each other,' the cop said.

The second reason could be a dispute over who would proceed on leave first after Holi. 'The trio might have had a tiff over going on leave, which prompted the firing and the subsequent death of constable Sadanand and havildar Ram. But the first angle looks more convincing for now,' the policeman said.

Step-by-step

Gunshots
* Police receive information about gunshots heard at Bikram block office around 6am
* A police team reaches the spot around 6.20am and sees two cops — Ram Vishnu Yadav and Sadanand Kumar — lying on ground with bullet injuries
First claim
* Constable Mukesh Rajak claims the duo had fired at each other
* Ram and Sadanand sent to a hospital in Bikram in an ambulance, where doctors declare them brought dead
* Forensic experts gather evidence from the spot on Second thoughts lSenior officers question Rajak, suspecting his story 
* Based on circumstantial evidence, police claim in the evening that Rajak shot the cops dead