At least five persons were arrested on Saturday from New Town in connection with the murder of gangster Chandan Mishra inside a Patna hospital, West Bengal police said on Saturday.

The arrests were made during a joint raid by the Patna Police and the West Bengal STF in the early hours of Saturday. The accused were found hiding in a flat in a housing complex in the satellite township of Kolkata.

“All the accused were hiding in a flat in the housing complex in New Town area. Of the five, four were directly involved in the killing. They fled Patna after the incident and came to Kolkata,” a police officer said.

“Their mobile phone tower location helped us track them. The Bihar Police will produce them before a local court, seeking transit remand,” he added.

Spotlight on murder

On July 17, five armed men, led by Tauseef Badshah, walked into Patna’s upscale Paras Hospital, bypassed security, and entered the ICU where Mishra was being treated under police guard.

The attackers opened fire inside the ICU and shot Mishra dead. CCTV footage, which later went viral, captured the group walking calmly into the ward, executing the murder, and exiting without any signs of haste. Social media videos showed them celebrating outside the hospital.

The police identified the attackers as members of a rival gang headed by Sheru, a former associate of Mishra with whom he had a fallout while in Bhagalpur jail. Six suspects were detained from Patna and Buxar shortly after the murder. Five others were tracked to New Town.

Mishra was involved in 24 criminal cases, including over a dozen murders. He had been lodged at Beur Jail and was at Paras Hospital on parole for medical treatment.

Questions over security

SP Patna (Central) Diksha had told PTI on Friday that a probe was underway to determine how the gunmen reached the second floor of the hospital without being stopped.

“This raises serious questions over the security arrangements at the hospital. Five unmasked armed assailants reached the second floor, opened fire at Mishra, and fled the premises. Investigators are certainly looking into any complicity that may have led to the security lapse,” she had said.

Tejashwi, Pappu Yadav on Bihar safety

The incident has triggered a political backlash. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the state government of protecting criminals. “Criminals, protected by the government, shot at a patient admitted to a Patna hospital. Is anyone safe in Bihar?” he said.

Independent MP Pappu Yadav claimed he had received threats for speaking out about the case. “Law and order have completely collapsed,” he said, demanding President’s Rule and linking the murder to caste-based killings.

The brazen killing inside a well-known hospital in broad daylight, despite the presence of police personnel, has raised serious questions about security and law enforcement in the state.

The arrests in New Town, more than 500 km from Patna, have also brought the focus back on the township’s growing reputation as a hideout for criminals from across India—and even outside the country.

New Town: A recurring refuge for fugitives

Several high-profile cases in recent years suggest that New Town, with its high-rises and transient population, is being used as a refuge by those fleeing law enforcement across states.

In June 2021, two wanted gangsters from Punjab — Jaipal Singh Bhullar and Jaspreet Singh -- were tracked to a residential complex in New Town. The duo had been living under assumed identities after allegedly killing two Ludhiana policemen.

After being wanted in more than 50 cases, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and smuggling across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, they shifted to a rented flat in New Town.

Haryana-based 'automobile parts' dealer

A Haryana-based man posed as an automobile parts dealer to rent the flat for them. They stayed indoors, ordered North Indian food, and kept a low profile. Based on a tip-off, a joint team of the Punjab Police and West Bengal STF raided the flat in the Shapoorji Pallonji complex. Both men were killed in the gunfight that followed. Police recovered Rs 7 lakh in cash, pistols, and ammunition from the scene.

Bangladesh pirate arrested

In another case from July 2024, Majnu Ghazi, a notorious pirate from Bangladesh, was arrested after hiding in New Town for nearly a year. He had crossed into India illegally and was wanted for robbing fishermen in the Sundarbans region.

Acting on a tip-off received by Radha police station in North 24 Parganas, officers raided the flat where Ghazi was staying. A pipe gun and live cartridge were recovered. Ghazi later confessed to his crimes and said he had entered India through the river routes.

Another Bangladeshi national, Kamal Sheikh, was arrested following Ghazi’s interrogation. Police believe both had been living under fake identities and were aided by a network that facilitated their illegal entry and stay.

The recurrence of such arrests has raised concerns about how New Town’s rapid urbanisation and rental boom are being exploited by criminal networks.