A 25-year-old Home Guard personnel was shot dead inside the barracks of Sandesh police station in Bihar’s Bhojpur district late on Sunday night, police said on Monday.
He added that Rai and the suspect hail from the same panchayat, but there was no known history of a dispute between them. “We are conducting a very detailed investigation into all the reasons behind the incident. We have preserved the place of occurrence, the barracks, and the firearm from which the shot was fired. After postings at Khawaspur police station, Narayanpur police station, and Ara Sub-Divisional Jail, he was transferred to the Sandesh police station approximately a month ago.
The deceased, identified as Monal Kumar Rai, was struck in the chest by a bullet fired from a .303 service rifle by a colleague, who fled the scene immediately after the incident and remains absconding. Police said the incident took place at the Sandesh police station barracks around 10.15 pm on Sunday. Rai was recruited into the Home Guards in 2025.
Bhojpur superintendent of police (SP) Awadhesh Dixit said it was yet to be determined whether this was a case of accidental firing or murder. Police said an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances under which the firearm was discharged. In addition, we have called the forensic experts,” Dixit said, adding that the police would be able to reach a conclusion about the incident after the autopsy and forensic reports come in.
