PATNA: A police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) allegedly opened fire on villagers in Balirajgarh village under Babubarhi police station limits in Bihar's Madhubani district late on Monday night, killing a 50-year-old man and injuring three others.
The deceased has been identified as Ashok Yadav, who succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
The injured have been identified as Dhanik Lal Yadav, Phulo Devi and Vijendra Yadav.
They were initially taken to the Babubarhi Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared Ashok Yadav dead, while the other three were referred to another hospital for advanced treatment.
The accused police officer has been identified as ASI Chandramohan Singh, who was posted at a police picket established in Balirajgarh.
According to preliminary accounts, the incident occurred when the ASI allegedly entered the house of a local resident, Vijay Yadav, in the absence of his wife.
His daughter and the daughter of their neighbour, Ashok Yadav, were reportedly sleeping inside the house.
It is alleged that the ASI entered the house with inappropriate intentions. When a neighbour, Phulo Devi, noticed his presence, she reportedly bolted the door from outside and raised an alarm.
Hearing the commotion, villagers gathered at the spot and surrounded the house.
The ASI allegedly pulled out his service pistol and fired several rounds to escape the gathering, hitting four villagers.
According to an official, the ASI had been visiting the house frequently. SSP Yogendra Kumar said the officer had allegedly developed an illicit relationship with a woman in the village and regularly visited her residence.
He had gone there again on Monday night, following which the villagers surrounded the house.
The SSP said the officer allegedly fired three to four rounds to protect himself from the villagers. The exact sequence of events is being investigated.
Following the incident, senior police officials rushed to the hospital to meet the injured and their families and inspected the crime scene.
The Madhubani SSP has been stationed at Babubarhi police station since the incident.
The accused ASI has been suspended with immediate effect.
Police are registering an FIR, including charges of murder, and have constituted two special teams to arrest him.
He has been absconding since the firing.
The incident has also brought the officer's previous service record under scrutiny.
Chandramohan Singh was earlier posted at the Madhavapur police station.
A few months ago, he was allegedly involved in another firing incident in Benipatti, where a motorcyclist died during an attempt to stop his vehicle.
Following that incident, the ASI and the driver of a Dial 112 vehicle were suspended.
The police picket at Balirajgarh was established in May 2026 following complaints of disturbances and theft of archaeological artefacts at the local excavation site.
After a meeting between the SSP and villagers, security personnel were deployed to protect the excavation area.
The security arrangement included an ASI, three personnel from the Special Auxiliary Police Force (SAFE) and two watchmen, with personnel staying at a residential girls' school when off duty.
Meanwhile, the incident has left the village tense.
Ashok Yadav, who ran a paan shop in Bengaluru, was due to marry off his daughter on December 14.
Police are investigating the circumstances leading to the firing, while efforts are underway to arrest the absconding ASI.