Patna, Jan. 9: Unknown men shot dead a policeman in Vaishali district, around 50km north of Patna, where he was returning to report for duty after a four-day-long leave.

The murder comes just a day after Bihar DGP P.K. Thakur cited crime charts of the past three years to deny any alarming law and order scenario in the state.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Ashok Kumar Yadav (59) was posted at Vaishali police station. He had joined Bihar police in 1982.

Around 7.30am today, residents of Manuachao in Sadar Hajipur police station area of Vaishali, found his body lying in an open field near the Hajipur-Lalganj main road. He was in uniform, had been shot four times and his service revolver was missing. Vaishali police station house officer Rajesh Kumar saidAshok had gone on leave from January 6 to attend to a sister's treatment and construction of his house in Dhansoi, Buxar. "I'd called him up two days back to get details of a case and he sounded fine. Today's incident is mysterious," Rajesh said.

Police sources said Ashok left home on Friday afternoon. He reached Patna around 2pm after which he proceeded for Vaishali to join duty. The mode of transport is still not clear. Initial investigations suggest something happened to him in the late night hours. From Patna, it takes three to four hours to reach Vaishali police station. The police are trying to connect the dots since he left home, police sources said.

"It has come to light that Ashok left home by train yesterda," Vaishali superintendent of police (SP) Rakesh Kumar said. "There is no direct train from Buxar to Vaishali. One has to go through Patna. The police suspect Ashok might have reached Patna by train and then left for Vaishali by road. They are trying to fill in the gaps. Forensic teams have collected evidence from the spot. His service revolver has been taken away, perhaps by those who killed him."

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan attacked the state government saying "jungle raj (rule of the jungle)" had returned. "The Nitish government has three ministers from Vaishali. Of them, two are Lalu Prasad's sons. Even then such incidents are taking place. If the police in Bihar are not safe, what will happen to the common people," Paswan asked.