Another Journalist Shot At, Bike-Borne Assailants Pump Bullets Into His Back

Even before the blood of Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead on Tuesday dried up, another journalist was shot at in Bihar's Arwal district.

Rashtriya Sahara's journalist Pankaj Mishra was shot dead while he was leaving a bank and was heading home. Two bike-borne assailants accosted him and shot him from close range. He suffered two bullet injuries in the back and collapsed on the ground. He was immediately rushed to a hospital and was later shifted to Patna for better treatment. His condition is stated to be critical.

Speaking to the media, Pankaj Mishra said that the men who attacked him were locals and close to Satyadeo Singh, the JD(U) legislator from Kurtha. The arrested assailant, Kundan Mahto, is the son of Mr Singh's personal assistant Anant Kumar Verma.

The police registered a case against unknown assailants and have begun investigation. Efforts are on to identify the culprits and nab them.