4 min readPatnaUpdated: Aug 3, 2026 10:12 AM IST
A man has been arrested for allegedly killing Dehri-Dalmianagar Municipal Council Executive Officer Vimal Kumar after an argument that allegedly broke out during their drive home. The killing has led Kumar’s family to allege a political conspiracy by a local MLA, which the latter has denied.
Vimal Kumar left Rohtas for the four-hour drive to Patna with his driver, Mithilesh Kumar, after an official programme on Saturday evening, police said. Mithilesh Kumar was arrested for allegedly killing his employer following an argument during the journey. The incident has led to a political storm.
“It occurred within the Barun police station limits,” Aurangabad Superintendent of Police (SP) Upendra Nath Verma said. “The driver initially informed police that unidentified assailants had attacked the executive officer and that he died while being taken to hospital.”
An FIR invokes murder charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said inconsistencies in the driver’s statements led to his arrest.
Police inspect the site of the incident. (Express Photo)
“Initially, he said two Apache motorcycles had arrived. Later, he claimed there was only one. As the story kept changing, police became suspicious,” Magadh Range IG Vikas Vaibhav told The Indian Express.
Police said the driver told investigators he had been under stress because of long working hours and frequently argued with his employer. During the drive to Patna, he allegedly wanted to stop to relieve himself but was told not to halt the vehicle.
“He said this immediately led to tension. He stopped the vehicle, picked up an iron rod kept inside it and first struck the car. When the executive officer got down, he repeatedly attacked him with the rod,” Vaibhav said.
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But the victim’s wife, Babita Kumari, alleged a political hand in the killing, claiming that a local MLA had been trying to extort her husband.
“He used to call every day. My husband would tell me, ‘I don’t do anything wrong. How will I get Rs 50 lakh?’ We even discussed seeking a transfer to a smaller place, rather than doing any illegal work,” she said, adding that her husband met the MLA on July 29.
The allegations have triggered a political storm, with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav questioning the probe.
“Within days, Bihar has witnessed the killing of a second officer,” he claimed, demanding that the MLA be named in an FIR and that a judicial inquiry be ordered.
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The MLA has denied the allegations, calling the incident “personally heartbreaking”.
In a statement posted on social media, the MLA said: “The murder of the Executive Officer of the Dehri Municipal Council is a deeply tragic incident for me on a personal level. The attempts to drag my name into this case have shaken my conscience. The Inspector General of Police, Magadh Range, has already presented the findings of the police investigation in detail, and the accused has been arrested.”
He added: “I stand with the victim’s family, and ensuring they receive justice remains my priority. A woman has lost her husband to this tragic crime. This is not the time to play politics.”
The killing comes just over three months after Executive Officer Krishna Bhushan Kumar was shot dead inside the Sultanganj Municipal Council office in Bhagalpur. The main suspect in that case, Ramdhani Yadav — husband of the council’s deputy chairperson — was killed in a police encounter hours later. Two others were arrested, with investigators saying allegations of a wider conspiracy remained under investigation.
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Meanwhile, Vimal Kumar’s body was brought to his residence on Gola Road in Patna’s Danapur after the post-mortem on Sunday. More than 50 executive officers staged a protest with the body, announcing an indefinite strike to demand enhanced security, compensation and other safeguards. They also attempted to march to the Chief Minister’s residence before being stopped by police.
The protesters dispersed after senior officials promised a meeting to discuss their demands.