The members of the business community are peeved over the killing of a medicine dealer and a cellphone shop owner in Sitamarhi town in the past two days.

All shops and business establishments remained shut yesterday and today to protest the two back-to-back murders.

Criminals shot dead medicine supplier Yatindra Khetan (38) in the industrial area of the town while he was returning home after closing his shop around 8.30pm on Wednesday. The bullet-riddled body was recovered early on Thursday morning.

On Tuesday night, a young mobile shop owner, Munindra Kumar Pathak, was shot at and seriously injured before being robbed of Rs 1 lakh and a costly cellphone at Pratapnagar.

He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Agitated over the incident, a group of residents blocked the road near Rampur Dumra and disrupted traffic on Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur road for over five hours, demanding immediate arrest of the assailants and compensation to the deceased's family.

Moreover, the district unit of the Chemist and Druggist Association had also given a call for Sitamarhi bandh today.

The members of the association took out a procession, which ended in a meeting at the district headquarters. The associated demanded the immediate arrest of the criminals involved in the murder of the drug supplier.

Sitamarhi superintendent of police Nawal Kishore Singh said three suspects had been detained for interrogation in connection with the murder of the medicine dealer.

'A special police team has been set up to nab the criminals involved in the incident,' he told The Telegraph over the phone.

Expressing serious concern over the series of recent murders, BJP MP from Sitamarhi Ram Kumar said: 'The law and order situation in the town has touched its nadir. Murder, kidnapp-ing and extortion have become order of the day. The police have failed to check the crime despite repeated reminders to the senior police officers.'

Residents alleged that over a dozen businessmen have been killed in the past six months, spreading panic, especially among businessmen.

'Recently, a foodgrain dealer was killed behind his shop,' said resident Ravishankar.

Former minister and BJP leader Sunil Kumar Pintu said: 'We have given an ultimatum to the district police chief to improve the law and order situation in the town.'

Shot dead
Dec. 30, 2014:

Munindra Kumar Pathak, a young cellphone shop owner, was shot at and seriously injured before being robbed of Rs 1 lakh and a costly cellphone at Pratapnagar

Dec. 31, 2014: 

Businessman Yatindra Khetan was returning home after closing down his shop in the industrial area of Sitamarhi town when criminals gunned him down. The bullet-riddled body was recovered early on Thursday morning 

Fallout

Residents blocked the road near Rampur Dumra and disrupted traffic on Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur road for over five hours, demanding immediate arrest of the assailants and compensation to the deceased’s family. Members of the district unit of the Chemist and Druggist Association also protested

Hope

Three suspects had been detained for interrogation in connection with the murder of the medicine dealer. No arrest or detention in the first case