In Bihar, He Was Shot Dead Over A Lemon

Begusarai, Bihar: Refusing to serve a piece of lemon cost an eatery-owner his life in Bihar's Begusarai district on Monday.

Four men, who had come to eat at 29-year-old Ratish Kumar's restaurant close to a prominent railway station late on Monday night, got into a tiff with the owner after they asked for lemon wedges along with their meal but were refused.

The four youth then threatened the owner with consequences but left the eatery.  However, they returned after an hour, close to midnight, with a pistol and fired at Mr Kumar from point blank range, killing him on the spot.  The youth then fled on motorcycles before anyone could react.

The restaurant is barely 100 metres away from a railway police station in the area. Following the incident, locals agitated at many places in Begusarai and blocked many roads for hours. The Bihar Police say they are taking steps to ensure arrests in the case soon.

"The four people, all of a young age, were frequent visitors to the eatery.  We are trying to trace them and will make arrests soon," said Jitendra Mishra, a senior police official in Begusarai.

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Earlier this month, campaigning for upcoming elections in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the rising number of crimes in the state showed how Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government was faring. He said there was a 47 per cent rise in murders in the first six months of the year alone.