Patna, March 20: The nephew of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was tragically shot dead, reportedly by his own brother, on Thursday morning. The incident took place in Jagatpur village, located in the Nawgachia region of Bhagalpur, and is believed to have been sparked by a disagreement over a tap water dispute at their home. The altercation also left their mother injured with gunshot wounds.
According to police, the conflict between the two brothers appears to have escalated over the use of a water tap. "At first glance, it seems that the brothers got into a heated argument over the tap, which led to them both firing at each other. The deceased has been identified as Vishwajit Yadav, while Jayajit, the injured brother, has been taken for advanced medical treatment. A shell casing and a live cartridge were recovered from the scene," said Nawgachia Superintendent of Police Prerna Kumari.
Authorities are investigating the family's connection to the Union Minister, and preliminary reports suggest that the victim, Vishwajit, may be the son of Nityanand Rai's cousin sister.
The dispute began early Thursday when the wives of Vishwajit and Jayajit had an argument over filling water from a supply tap, according to Shambhu Paswan, the Station House Officer of Parbatta. Police reported that Jayajit confronted Vishwajit while he was drawing water, claiming the tap was his. This confrontation quickly escalated into a physical fight, during which Vishwajit allegedly fired at Jayajit. In response, Jayajit grabbed the weapon from Vishwajit and shot back. Their mother, Hina Devi, who intervened to mediate, was also injured by a gunshot to her arm.
The three individuals were rushed to a private nursing home in Bhagalpur, where Vishwajit was declared dead on arrival. "Jayajit remains in critical condition and has been referred for further medical care," a police officer confirmed.
A forensic science team has been called to the scene to gather evidence, and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are also looking into Jayajit's criminal background. Locals have revealed that although the brothers lived together, they had been involved in ongoing disputes for some time.
