Sudhir Kumar Poddar undergoes treatment at SKMCH in Muzaffarpur on Tuesday. Picture by Gopi Raman

Shopkeepers downed their shutters for two hours on Tuesday morning to protest against the firing on a businessman on Monday night.

Sudhir Kumar Poddar (38), the proprietor of a dress material showroom, was attacked on Club Road under Mithanpura police station around 10.15pm. His condition is said to be serious.

The chairman of North Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI), Motilal Chaparia, expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and rise in attacks on the trading fraternity. Motilal said the district, and particularly the township is without a regular senior superintendent of police (SSP) for the past month.

Poddar was returning home from his shop located at Company Bagh. Taking advantage of the darkness, the criminals fired at him from close range and fled.

According to the police, two bullets grazed Poddar’s right shoulder, while a third pierced his chest. All the shots were fired from behind Poddar. After he slumped to the ground, residents of the area rushed in and took him to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and wheeled him into the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital.

Attending doctors of the surgical department, led by Dr Bhartendu, are monitoring his condition. “Poddar would be operated upon in a day or two,” said SKMCH superintendent Dr G.K. Thakur.

A team of Mithanpura police station, led by sub-inspector Paras Nath Tiwary, swung into action and tried to record a verbal statement of the injured trader on Monday. But the trader is unconscious. The trader’s father, Shyam Kumar Poddar, told The Telegraph that his son was on his way back on foot when he was attacked. He added that for the past four days, his son had been returning on foot. Shyam said neither he nor his son had received any threat or extortion demand. Muzaffarpur SSP in-charge Vivek Kumar said the police are investigating the case and they have launched a hunt to nab the criminals. “It is suspected that Poddar was locked in a property dispute with some of his relatives. The matter is being probed. Family members of Poddar are also being quizzed,” the SSP said.

On Tuesday morning, shopkeepers of Company Bagh area downed their shutters to protest against the attack on Poddar. The traders opened their shops and business establishments only after the police assured them of early arrest of the criminals.

Motilal added that security has taken a beating and even petty criminals are targeting traders to extort money. He demanded immediate intervention of senior police officers, including the director-general of police, to post a full-time city SP for effective policing.