Patna: A dreaded gangster was shot dead by unidentified assailants on court premises in Bihar while he was being taken for questioning in a murder case on Friday afternoon. The incident took place on the premises of a sub-divisional court in Barh town in Patna district.

Witnesses and police said gangster Guddu Singh along with other prisoners was being taken to a judge’s room for questioning in a murder case when the assailants resorted to indiscriminate firing, causing a stampede-like situation.

As everyone tried to flee for safety, the miscreants came near the gangster and pumped bullets into his body from up close, killing him on the spot. Two other prisoners were also wounded in the incident and have been admitted to a local hospital for treatment. As per reports, Singh was killed just before the judge’s chamber.

According to police, the victim was facing serious charges such as murder, kidnapping and extortion. As per reports, he was indulging in criminal activity even from behind the bars as his name figured in the killing of three persons even while he was lodged in the jail. Police are conducting raids to nab the fleeing accused.

This is the third attack on prisoners on court premises in Bihar this year. In May, unidentified gunmen had shot dead gangster Babloo Dubey in the Bettiah town court in West Champaran district. The convict, who faced more than 40 cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion, was killed in a similar manner.

Miscreants opened fire on him while he was being taken to court in connection with the murder of a village council chief. Here too the criminals pumped bullets into his body from a close range as he collapsed on the ground even before being rushed to the hospital.

Another such incident took place in March when the miscreants opened fire inside a civil court campus in Muzaffarpur district, critically injuring a prisoner, who was bring tried. The victim was standing with a posse of policemen near the record room of the court when three persons came and fired at him; he survived the shooting.