PMC Official, Wife Killed; Bureaucrats Nervous

Patna: July 2, 2008

Criminals in Phulwarisharif in Patna district, less than 24 hour since the killing of a prominent neurosurgeon in Danapur, killed the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) secretary S. M. Alam and his wife, at their residence in Haroon Nagar Colony on Tuesday night, sending a wave of shock across the state capital.

Alam, 55, and his wife Nasreen Jamal (50), were found dead in a pool of their own blood in the bedroom on Wednesday morning by their 18-year old daughter Saba Kauser.

Both died of injuries on their head by some blunt object, the police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amit Kumar, Phulwari DSP Dilnawaz Ahmad, and City SP Anwar Husain rushed to the crime scene to gather information about the incident. Forensic experts were also commissioned to collect fingerprints and other evidences, officials said.

As reported, the criminals forced their entries into the house by breaking open the front door.

While the police are not ruling out any motive, the criminals did not take away anything with them, the police said.

Family members denied the victims had any personal enmity with anyone.

Saba who was sleeping in the next room said she woke up by the noise but could not come out as the criminals had locked it from outside. After much effort, she was able to free herself only to find her parents dead and the criminals long gone.

This is the third such incident involving government officials in less than 10 days that has left many bureaucrats in a state of fear and shock.

On June 22, Arvind Mishra, a BDO in Sheikhpura district, was shot and killed in his bedroom. Then yesterday, criminals stabbed Patna neurosurgeon Dr. Ajay Kumar Sinha at his residence in Khagaul and stole properties worth several lakh rupees.