PATNA: The Patna police on Friday arrested one Bittu Sharma (28) in connection with the murder of RLSP’s Paliganj block president Amit Bhushan Verma, who was shot dead at Mera village under the Khiri Mor police station area in Patna district on November 13.Police said it was Anil Sharma, former commander of now defunct Ranvir Sena, who hatched the plan to kill the RLSP neta. Paliganj SDPO Manoj Kumar Pandey told TOI over the phone that Anil’s nephew Bittu executed the plan with his younger brother Mitthu Sharma, who is evading arrest. “Raids are on to arrest Anil and Mitthu,” Pandey said, adding Bittu was arrested from Puran village under the Karpi police station area in Arwal district.The SDPO said a country-made pistol used in the killing was seized from Bittu’s possession.Verma was shot at least four times during a Chhath event by two shooters even though SHO of Khiri Mor police station Krishna Prasad and other policemen were standing barely 100 meters away from the spot. Surprisingly, the killers managed to flee without any resistance from police team.Prasad was suspended for dereliction of duty by Patna SSP Manu Maharaaj on Friday. One Visheshwar Prasad Singh, who had attempted to save Verma and chase the killers, had also received gunshot injury on his left arm.The SDPO said the actual plan was to kill Naveen Yadav, an influential person of the area. “Verma was a close associate of Naveen. As Naveen did not turn up at the event, the criminals shot Verma on the direction of Anil,” the SDPO said.According to the SDPO, war of supremacy between Anil and Naveen was the main reason behind Verma’s murder. “Anil was fearful of Naveen and Verma’s fast increasing political and financial clout,” the SDPO said.“Anil and Naveen were trying to purchase a large plot of land owned by one Vijay Sharma at Mera village. After Naveen succeeded in purchasing some parts of the land, Anil became fearful anticipating the former’s dominance in the area,” Pandey said, adding Anil, who was involved in several murder, dacoity and loot cases, had come out of jail only two months back.“Anil and Bittu are also accused in a double murder which took place at Mera village over a land dispute in 2014. Bittu was in jail at least a year in connection with the double murder,” the SDPO said.

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