A firing incident was reported outside the coaching centre of popular educator Khan Sir in Patna on Tuesday, with police launching an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The firing took place in the Musallahpur Haat area, a major educational hub in Bihar's capital, where Khan Sir's coaching institute is located.
According to information, the incident is suspected to be linked to an alleged rivalry between operators of coaching institutes in the area.
Sources suggested that the firing may have stemmed from an ongoing battle for dominance between Khan Sir's coaching centre and a rival coaching establishment.
No casualties were reported. However, a security guard has been injured in the incident and hospitalised.
The popular educator, who had told reporters on Tuesday night that "eight to 10 rounds of shots were fired", appeared to backtrack on the claim.
Responding to questions about the alleged firing, Khan said he was unable to clearly understand what had happened amid the commotion and had only repeated what security personnel had told him.
"There was so much chaos at that time that I could not understand. I said what the guard had told me," he said.
While speaking to reporters after the incident, Khan Sir had also said that after the Bihar Police recruitment results were declared and thousands of candidates had qualified, his team was exhausted from the process when "some anti-social elements" allegedly arrived at the coaching centre and began threatening staff members.
Khan has pinned the blame on the rival coaching centre in the vicinity.
"The Bihar Police recruitment results had come out, thousands of students had qualified, and we were tired after all the work. Then some anti-social elements came and started threatening us. They assaulted our guards. It appears they are associated with coaching institutes and are troubled by our low fees," Khan Sir alleged." The rival coaching centre has even threatened to blow up my coaching in 2 days," he further added.
Police personnel rushed to the spot after receiving information about the firing and have begun examining the scene. Investigators are collecting evidence and speaking to local residents and witnesses to ascertain the sequence of events.
Central SP Diksha told the media," We are yet to get any proof of the firing. The police are also scanning the CCTV footage of the incident and trying to identify the suspects.
Officials said all angles are being probed, including the possibility that the incident was connected to competition between coaching institutes operating in the locality.
The Musallahpur Haat area is known for housing several coaching centres that attract students preparing for competitive examinations from across Bihar and neighbouring states.
Source: India Today