Bihar: Gopal Khemka's son seeks police protection for family after cold-blooded murder

Gaurav cited his brother's 2018 murder, expressing fear for his family's safety. Gopal Khemka was shot upon returning home from Bankipore Club. An FIR has been registered, and an SIT formed to investigate the murder.

Patna: Gaurav Khemka, son of businessman Gopal Khemka who was shot dead near the main gate of his residence in Patna's Gandhi Maidan area, has requested police protection for his family, citing a previous family tragedy and fear for their lives. In his statement recorded in the FIR on Saturday, Gaurav mentioned that his brother, Gunjan Khemka, was also murdered in 2018. "After this incident, my family and I are frightened. We request that the government and police provide us with security and ensure the safety of our family. Also, the perpetrators should be arrested and punished," he wrote.

Gaurav narrated the incident in his statement, saying that around 8:30 PM, his father had gone to the Bankipore Club. When he returned home at 11:20 PM, assailants who were already waiting at the gate shot him in the head. He added that after hearing the gunshot and being alerted by the building guard, he and his wife rushed to the gate. There, they found Gopal Khemka lying in a pool of blood. Gaurav said they rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Police were informed around midnight. However, Gaurav alleged that there was no immediate action. In the FIR, he wrote, “Upon inaction by police, I, along with my family, were about to take my father's dead body home. Around 2 AM, the District Magistrate came and said that we can take the body home only after the post-mortem.” He stated that the post-mortem was conducted around 6 AM, after which the body was brought home.

An FIR has been registered in the case at Gandhi Maidan Police Station under case number 391/25, dated July 5, 2025. The case is registered under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 27 of the Arms Act. Bihar Police has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder.

Rahul Gandhi questions Bihar govt

Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, launched an all-out attack on the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar and noted that every “murder is a cry for change.” In a post on social media platform X in hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, "The brazen murder of businessman Gopal Khemka in Patna has once again proven - the BJP and Nitish Kumar together have turned Bihar into "India's crime capital." Today, Bihar lives in the shadow of loot, gunfire, and murder. Crime has become the 'new normal' here - and the government is utterly ineffective"

"Brothers and sisters of Bihar, this injustice can no longer be tolerated," he said. The former Congress President observed that a government that cannot ensure the safety of your children cannot be entrusted with your future either. "Every murder, every loot, every bullet - is a cry for change. Now is the time for a new Bihar - where there is no fear, only progress. This time, the vote is not just to change the government, but to save Bihar," he called on the voters ahead of the assembly elections.