Kailash Singh, the prime accused in Isuapur station house officer (SHO) Sanjay Kumar Tiwari's murder was murdered in a gang war late on Wednesday in Parsauna Bazaar area of Saran district.

Motorcycle-borne criminals had gunned down Tiwari, a native of Nalanda district, near Shyam Kauria railway crossing while he was returning to the police station on December 22. After killing Tiwari in broad daylight, the criminals had fled with his service revolver.

Saran superintendent of police (SP) Satyavir Singh said a police team rushed to Parsauna Bazar on learning of the death of a person in a fierce gun battle between two gangs. The deceased was later identified as Kailash Singh alias Check Singh, a native of Porai village in Saran district.

The police had been on Kailash's hot pursuit ever since his name figured in Isuapur SHO Tiwari's murder. "He (Singh) was on the run after the arrest of his three accomplices - Rikesh Kumar, Kallu and Kush Kumar - on December 24, two days after the murder," Satyavir told The Telegraph.

The SP said the district police were doggedly following the case as one of their own had been killed.

"The special police team constituted to crack the murder case raided places believed to be Kailash's hideouts, but he managed to hoodwink them every time," he said.

On Wednesday, a rival group shot Kailash dead near Maharani Sthan, adjacent to Parsauna Bazaar under the jurisdiction of Parsa police station, around 30km east of the district headquarters town of Chhapra. The SP, however, refused to divulge the name of the rival gang behind Kailash's murder.

A resident, among the first to reach the spot on Wednesday evening, said residents heaved a sigh of relief on hearing that Kailash had been killed. They were tired of extortions and loot for which they held Kailash responsible.

In fact, even Tiwari paid with his life because he had foiled two robbery bids by the gang to which Kailash belonged. The fact came to light during the interrogation of the three youths earlier arrested in connection with the murder.

Tiwari had accompanied a petrol station owner who had to travel 10-12km to deposit his earnings in a bank. While returning from the bank, he tried to frisk the three men. A brawl ensued in which Tiwari was killed.