2 engineers in Bihar shot dead in extortion bid

Two engineers, while supervising the construction of Darbhanga-Kusheshwarsthan Highway in Bihar’s Darbhanga district, were shot dead by unidentified assailants over protection money on Saturday. A week ago, the construction company, BSSCNL, had received a series of calls for extortion money, which it had refused to pay. The company had also lodged a police complaint, after which the security around the site was ramped up. However a day ahead of the incident, the security had surprisingly been withdrawn without any reason, said BSSCNL.

The killings may lend a big body blow to chief minister Nitish Kumar’s efforts to woo investors and businesses, sources said.

The police has launched a massive combing operation in the area and also detained six persons for questioning.

Police sources said the killings could be an outcome of non-payment of extortion money, while others termed the incident as “gross negligence by the police”.

The incident, according to the BJP, “has started scaring business community in Bihar”.

Raising questions on the intention of Nitish Kumar-led Grand Secular Alliance government, BJP leaders said, “This incident has exposed government’s tall claims. The state has gone back in the hands of criminals.”

Claiming that “the fear of jungle raj has returned among the business community after Grand Secular Alliance came to power in Bihar”, Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar said, “A section of society is once again planning to migrate to other states fearing threats to their lives and businesses. The chief minister in his series of statements had said that adequate measures are being taken to curb the deteriorating law and order, but nothing of that sort is being seen. The government is not serious at all.”

One of the main promises of the Nitish Kumar government, sworn-in last month, was to fix the law and order issue in the state.

Mr Kumar after taking oath as chief minister had also addressed administrative officials through video-conferencing asking them to “strictly impose rule of law throughout the state”.

While addressing his officials he had said, “My government will not compromise on the issue of jungle raj. For me, face does not matter, performance and strict policing in the state is more important to me and my government.”

“Such incidents will scare away those who are planning to invest in Bihar,” said businessmen.

They said, “Nitish Kumar at this juncture cannot afford to lose investments. People are looking at him with hope.”