Gunfire tore through Samastipur’s streets Friday as daring criminals on bikes targeted innocents near Indian Bank on the subdivisional hospital road, igniting a fierce public backlash. The assault in Dalsinghsarai left two shot and one thug lynched by a vengeful crowd, casting a long shadow over Bihar’s safety concerns.
Pappu Paswan arrived innocently on his motorcycle from Loknathpur Belwana, only to be waylaid by three armed men. A dispute flared, culminating in a point-blank leg shot that floored him. Panic spread like wildfire—pedestrians dove for safety as more shots pierced the air.
Local heroine Rekha Devi rushed to intervene, facing down the gunmen. Her defiance earned a bullet to the hand, but she survived initial treatment at Sadar Hospital. Pappu too was admitted, both under heavy guard as the drama unfolded.
The tide turned when villagers chased down Sunny Kumar, 24, from Loknathpur. The mob’s relentless beating proved fatal; he arrived at the hospital lifeless, identified by authorities as the key shooter. Police wrested control, launching a thorough inquiry.
Leading the response, DSP Vivek Kumar Sharma uncovered clues of prior animosity. CCTV scans and suspect hunts are in full swing for the escapees. Bolstered by extra units, cops maintain a vigilant presence, quelling fears of reprisals.
Traders shuttered shops early, voicing demands for ironclad security. Officials pledge rapid justice, but the event spotlights vigilantism’s perils and the thin line between order and anarchy in Bihar’s districts.