Patna: A 17-year-old boy was shot dead by a shopkeeper in Siwan on Thursday.

The incident occurred around 1.30pm when the deceased, Salman Khan, had gone to a shop owned by Ishahaq Mian at Miskarhi village under the jurisdiction of Mairwa police station in Siwan, around 145km northwest of Patna.

Siwan additional superintendent of police (headquarters) A.K. Mishra said the shopkeeper fired at Salman with an illegal weapon after a dispute over exchanging commodities and repayment of money.

Salman was rushed to the Mairwa primary health centre where he died during treatment. Mishra said the assailant had earlier argued with the deceased's brother over the issue. When Salman visited the shop and requested to return the commodities which his brother had earlier bought, the shopkeeper indulged in a verbal duel. The two even exchanged blows, leading to the firing in which Salman died.

Ishahaq fled the spot after downing his shop's shutters. However, acting on a tip off, a police team conducted a raid and arrested Ishahaq from Mairwa railway station. He was produced in Siwan court, which remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days. The station house officer of Mairwa said the body of the deceased was handed over to the family members after post-mortem.

Liquor seized

The Bhojpur police conducted raids at Balua Tola under Piro police station in the wee hours on Thursday and seized 1,267 bottles of 51 India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) packed in 51 cartons and a Scorpio but the smugglers fled from the scene on seeing the police.

The police also seized 129 bottles of IMFL from Makhdumpur on Thursday and arrested three smugglers.