Muzaffarpur, Sept 23: In a gruesome incident of murder, former Muzaffarpur mayor Samir Kumar, along with his personal driver, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at the Banaras Bank Chowk in the district headquarters.

The assailants escaped from the site of crime immediately after pounding scores of bullets into the chest of Kumar and his driver. Both of them were rushed to the hospital by police, where they were declared dead on arrival. 82-Year-Old Retired Commissioner & His Wife Found Dead in Patna.

Preliminary reports claim that Kumar was shot with 17-18 rounds of fire. Police team probing the incident claimed that they have recovered six cartridges from the spot of murder.

A search operation has been launched by the investigators to nab the bike-borne gunmen. All exit points of the city have been barricaded by police to keep an eye on suspects.

The murder of ex-mayor highlights the growing menace of crime in Bihar, which was once known for its "junge raj". According to the data maintained by the government, a total of 2.31 lakh criminal offences were registered between August 2017 to July 2018, of which 2,722 were murders and 1,278 rapes. The numbers are 20 per cent up compared to the preceding year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2018 09:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).