Ashok Sah was arrested after his name was revealed to the police by Umesh Kumar, the shooter who killed Gopal Khemka late on Friday evening.
The Bihar police have arrested the alleged mastermind behind the killing of prominent Patna businessman Gopal Khemka.
Builder Ashok Sah was arrested from his home in Patna.
A senior police officer said Sah was arrested after his name was revealed to the police by Umesh Kumar, the shooter who killed Khemka late on Friday evening. Umesh, who was arrested on Monday, was paid Rs 350,000 to kill Khemka.
The police claim Sah hired Umesh to murder Khemka because of a business dispute or rivalry. They are yet to establish a motive for the crime.
The Bihar police confirmed on Tuesday the killing of a criminal, Vikas alias Raja (29), in an early morning encounter in Patna in connection with the Khemka killing.
The encounter marks the first police-involved fatality of a criminal since Khemka's sensational killing, which had ignited widespread demands for more decisive action against criminals in Bihar.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikya Sharma confirmed the killing in the police encounter. Raja's body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
The swift action follows a strong directive from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to Director General of Police Vinay Kumar to crack the case as soon as possible.
Gopal Khemka was shot in the head at point-blank range by a single, helmet-wearing assailant late in the evening on July 4. CCTV footage from the scene shows the killer patiently waiting near the gate of Khemka's building for his arrival from the Bankipore Club.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
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