Patna: A former Patna deputy mayor's husband and RJD leader Dina Gope, 40, was gunned down by a gang of car-borne assailants in Patna on Saturday, leading to the suspension of the station house officer (SHO) of the police station concerned.

The incident took place around 4.30am in Anisabad locality under the jurisdiction of Gardanibagh police station when the victim was returning home after attending his relative's marriage ceremony at Beur. Raju Gope and Vijay Kumar - who were accompanying Dina - also suffered bullet injuries in the incident.

Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj said the assailants fired at Dina when he was stepping towards his residence after meeting an acquaintance at a hospital adjacent to his house. The assailants were travelling in a car and pumped bullets into Dina's body from close range. Dina, who was facing charges of murder and extortion, died on the spot.

The assailant fired at least 20 rounds in the air to terrorise the local residents and the businessmen before fleeing. The SSP, however, denied the use of any sophisticated weapons in the killing of Dina, a resident of Manikchand Talab.

Five persons have been made named accused in the FIR lodged with Gardanibagh police station. "Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident and raids are underway to nab the culprits," Maharaaj told The Telegraph.

The police said Dina's name had earlier figured in the murder of one Ranjeet Gope. He also had a dispute over a plot, which could be one of the reasons behind the murder. At least 20 cases of murder, extortion and Arms Act were pending against him in different police stations of Patna.

The daylight murder in the heart of the town prompted inspector-general (Patna zone) Nayyar Hasnain Khan to order the suspension of the SHO of Gardanighbagh police station, Sartendu Sharat, for dereliction of duty. The IG also transferred him from Patna to Kaimur district.

Sources said SHO Sartendu had no knowledge of the killing when the senior police officers inquired about the incident. IG Khan later directed all superintendents of police under Patna zone to follow last week's instructions issued by the director-general of police K.S. Dwivedi at the law and order review meeting.

Patna SSP Maharaaj had earlier proposed to book Dina Gope, the husband of former Patna deputy mayor Amrawati Devi, under the Crime Control Act in 2015. The murder took place amid tight security arrangements made in Patna in view of RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap's marriage on Saturday night.

Dina had served as ward councillor before the seat was reserved for women. Dina had a scuffle with a group of people near the hospital a few minutes before the attack on him.