Indian businessman and BJP leader Gopal Khemka shot dead, 6 years after son’s killing

Prominent Indian businessman and BJP leader Gopal Khemka was shot dead outside his home in Patna on Friday night, media reports said.

According to an India Today report, the 62-year-old owner of Magadh Hospital was targeted by unidentified bike-borne assailants near the Panache Hotel in Patna’s upscale Gandhi Maidan area.

Citing officials, the report stated that the shooting occurred around 11:40 pm (local time) as Khemka was stepping out of his car near his residence in the Twin Tower apartment complex, adjacent to the hotel. The assailants opened fire and fled the scene. Khemka died on the spot.

Police recovered one bullet and a shell casing from the scene. "On the night of 4 July, around 11 pm, we received information from the Gandhi Maidan South area that businessman Gopal Khemka was shot dead," City SP Central Diksha Kumari told reporters.

She added, “As soon as the information was received, the police reached the hospital and the crime scene. The area has been cordoned off and an investigation is underway. CCTV footage is being examined.”

Khemka’s brother, Shankar, alleged that police responded nearly three hours after the murder. “My brother stepped out of his car at 11:40 pm and was shot. Police only arrived around 2:30 am,” he told reporters. He added that Khemka was driving home alone at the time of the attack.

The murder has triggered sharp political reactions ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav, visited the site and met the bereaved family.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Yadav said, “No one is safe in Bihar. It has become a sanctuary for criminals! Nitish ji, please spare Bihar.” He accused the government of failing to act when Khemka’s son was killed, stating, “Had strict action been taken back then, this wouldn’t have happened today.”

Khemka’s murder comes six years after the killing of his son, Gunjan Khemka, in a similar manner. In 2018, Gunjan, 38, was shot dead in broad daylight by a bike-borne assailant outside his cotton factory in Vaishali, on Patna’s outskirts.

Police have launched a full-scale investigation, scanning CCTV footage and examining possible motives. “All angles are being looked into,” said SP Diksha Kumari.

The motive behind the murder remains unknown, and more details are awaited.