Bihar Police said they shot dead Vikas, also known as Raja, during a predawn encounter in Patna on 8 July. The man was one of the principal suspects in the killing of local industrialist and Bharatiya Janata Party supporter Gopal Khemka, who was gunned down outside his Gandhi Maidan residence on 4 July. According to officers from a joint team of the Special Investigation Team and the Special Task Force, Vikas opened fire when they moved in to arrest him, prompting retaliatory shots that proved fatal. The suspect was allegedly involved in manufacturing and selling illegal firearms, an activity investigators believe is linked to the plot against Khemka. Two other people had already been taken into custody, including the alleged gunman and a trader suspected of commissioning the contract killing. JD(U) politician Rajeev Ranjan told reporters the encounter occurred after the suspect “tried to attack police.” Authorities say the wider probe continues, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar having earlier ordered an expedited investigation into the high-profile case that has put state law-and-order under scrutiny.