Patna, June 9 (IANS) In a shocking incident, two members of a family were shot dead and another injured in the Arfabad locality under Alamganj police station limits in Patna on Monday, officials said.

The incident took place around 9.15 a.m., when the victims — a retired nurse, Mahalaxmi Mehta, her husband Dhananjay Mehta, and their daughter — were on their way to the local market. They were reportedly targeted by two bike-borne assailants who opened fire and fled the scene.

All three sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) for treatment. Mahalaxmi and her daughter, who had suffered bullet wounds in the chest, abdomen, and back, died during treatment due to excessive blood loss.

Dhananjay Mehta, who was shot in the leg, is undergoing treatment and is said to be in stable condition.

“Mahalaxmi and her daughter succumbed to their injuries during treatment,” said the SHO of Alamganj police station.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Patna City, Atulesh Jha, confirmed the incident and said that preliminary investigations point to personal enmity as a possible motive.

“We are exploring all angles and waiting for Dhananjay Mehta to recover enough to record his statement, which will be vital to the investigation,” Jha said.

CCTV footage from the area is also being reviewed, and efforts are on to identify and apprehend the attackers, he said.

“A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has collected spent cartridges and other evidence from the crime scene for investigation,” he added.

The incident has sparked concern among residents over the growing number of firing cases in the congested Alamganj locality, which lies along the narrow and crowded Ashok Rajpath in Patna City.

–IANS

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