A massive protest erupted in Manwara village under Khanpur police station in Samastipur on Sunday morning after the body of paan shop owner Arvind Sahni reached the area following his post-mortem. Angry villagers and family members blocked the main Ilmasnagar–Gudarghat road near Siropatti School Square, bringing traffic to a complete halt. Protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the killers and compensation for Arvind’s family. The atmosphere grew tense as hundreds gathered at the spot, expressing outrage over the late-night shooting that claimed the life of a well-known local shopkeeper. The sudden violence left the community shaken and united in their call for justice.
Khanpur police station in-charge Ranjit Kumar Chaudhary arrived with his team and attempted to pacify the crowd, but the villagers refused to lift the blockade until concrete assurances were given. After two hours of negotiations, senior officials, including Sadar DSP-2 Sanjay Kumar, BJP district president Neelam Sahni, JDU block president Ram Narayan Singh, Ajay Kushwaha, and Rajgir Mahto, intervened. Their persistent efforts finally persuaded the agitated locals to end the protest. DSP Sanjay Kumar assured the family that the accused would be arrested soon and strict action would follow, restoring some calm in the area.
Arvind had closed his paan shop on Saturday night and returned home, asking his wife to serve dinner. At that moment, two men on a motorcycle reached the shop and called out to him for gutkha. Telling his wife to wait, he stepped out to hand over the item through the bamboo structure outside. One of the men suddenly fired at him from close range, hitting him near the neck. Arvind collapsed in pain as the attackers sped away into the darkness. His family rushed him to Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The bullet had lodged inside his body, worsening the fatal injury.
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Police said the attackers remain unidentified, as the darkness allowed them to escape easily. Arvind ran his shop in the front part of their house, while his family stayed in the rear portion. The reason behind the murder is still unclear, since the family has not yet submitted a written complaint. Villagers, however, mentioned two earlier disputes—a confrontation after a road accident involving a biker, and a financial disagreement. Locals believe the murder may be linked to one of these tensions, though police continue to explore all possibilities. The FIR will be filed once the family provides an official statement.
Arvind leaves behind three young children—five-year-old Anmol Kumar, three-year-old Vinisha Kumari, and one-and-a-half-year-old Ramanuj. His death has not only robbed the children of their father but also taken away the only support for his disabled father, Ranjit Sahni, and elderly mother, Sanju Devi. His wife, Kajal Kumari, was inconsolable and repeatedly fainted while grieving near his body. Police teams are examining CCTV footage and the FSL unit has inspected the crime scene. Authorities say the investigation is underway and those responsible will be identified and arrested soon. DSP Sanjay Kumar reaffirmed that the culprits will be behind bars at the earliest.