A jail superintendent was shot dead at his residence on Friday morning in Bhabhua in Kaimur district of Bihar.

Bhabhua jail superintendent, Ram Parikshan Ram, was shot dead from close range by three men, police sources said. The assailants escaped on two motorcycles.

"Ram was hit by a hail bullets the moment he opened the door following a knock. He died on the spot," the sources said.

While the motive behind the killing was not yet clear, some believe tightened security at the Bhabhua jail had angered some criminal gangs.

Bihar has 54 jails, including six central jails. Overcrowding and violent clashes between rival gangs are common problems in almost all jails.