Patna: An RJD leader was gunned down in Samastipur district on Friday, a day after his party gave a call for Bihar bandh to oppose the government's sand mining policy.

Hareram Yadav, 50, a former Hasanpur block unit president of the RJD, was shot dead around 6am when he had gone for a morning stroll. The assailants first asked Hareram about his well-being, indicating that the RJD member knew his killers, and then pumped five bullets into his body.

He was rushed to the Samastipur sadar hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.

Police said the incident took place near Sihi Chowk at Hasanpur, around 55km from the district headquarters of Samastipur and 150km northeast of Patna. Hareram's family members found out about the murder from a newspaper hawker, who spotted the RJD leader lying in a pool of blood on the road.

As news of the murder spread in the region, a number of his supporters assembled at Hasanpur Bazar, blocked the Hasanpur-Vithan road and disrupted traffic.

"It seems that the assailants were fully aware of his routine. Hareram used to go for morning walk almost regularly," said Rosera sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ajeet Kumar. Hareram's house is barely 500m from the place he was murdered.

The SDPO said Vijay Yadav, a resident of Shankarpur village, has been arrested in connection with the case. "Raids are under way on the basis of the information provided by Vijay, whose wife Munni Devi is the deputy mukhiya of Ahilwar panchayat under Hasanpur block of the district," he said.

Hareram's daughter in-law Mamta Devi is the mukhiya of Ahilwar panchayat, sources said. They added that Vijay had a heated argument with Hareram over the government scheme being implemented in the panchayat under chief minister Nitish Kumar's seven resolves.

The murder sent shockwaves among the residents. "It seems there is no fear of law among criminals these days, who are targeting people at their own sweet will. There is no law and order worth its name," said a local mukhiya.