Patna: Two murders in the city in the past two days have once again exposed the poor law and order condition.

On Saturday morning, unidentified armed criminals gunned down RJD leader Dina Gope alias Dina Yadav (55) near his residence at Bangali Tola under the Gardanibagh police station area. On Sunday evening armed criminals shot dead Uma Singh, 65, at Naubatpur lakh under Naubatpur police station area. Uma Singh was going to his village with his brother Mukul Singh in his bike when some criminals fired indiscriminately on him killing him on the spot.

The Gardanibagh and Naubatpur police are yet to make any breakthrough in the case, but police sources said land dispute was the main reason behind the murder. A police officer at Naubatpur police station said on condition of anonymity: "We've come to know that Uma Singh was shot dead as he had a dispute over a piece of land with Rupesh Singh, a resident of Choti Tangrela village." The police officer said: "A year ago, Dhiraj Singh, the contractor son of Uma Singh, was shot dead by unidentified criminals as he was having a dispute over a piece of land with Rupesh Singh. The police have arrested Rupesh and he is presently lodged at Beur Central jail."

Naubatpur police station house officer (SHO) Ramakant Tiwary said: "The police have detained Ajay Kumar, an accomplice of Rupesh, for Uma's murder. We've come to know that a dispute over money and a plot of land is said to be the reason behind the murder."

In the Dina Gope murder case, too, land dispute was said to be the reason, as Dina had, along with some influential persons of Gardanibagh area, formed a cooperative society, Tej Pratap Nagar in Beur area, but had failed to provide land to many people.

Gardanibagh police station house officer (SHO) C.P. Yadav said: "The police have detained one person and we'll soon crack the case. Dispute over a plot of land is said to be the reason behind the murder."

Sources said the price of land has gone up in western Patna, from Anishabad/Beur area to Bihta, as it is seeing an infrastructure boom, with several construction projects coming up in the area.

The price of land in Bihta area has become abnormally high in the past few years.

Sudhakar Sharma, a wholesale pulses dealer in Bihta area, said: "Land prices in Bihta area have skyrocketed in the past few years. A cottah of land that was priced at Rs 5 to 10 lakh in Bihta around a few years back is now priced at Rs 20 to Rs 25 a cottah. Prices will rise up further in future."

The trader's statement assumes significance as in the past few years educational institutions such as IIT-Patna, National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIEIT) and more have come up in Bihta area. An ESIC Hospital will be inaugurated in July. Land prices in adjoining Danapur, Naubatpur and Paliganj areas too has gone up.