On Thursday morning, five armed assailants brazenly entered Patna’s Paras Hospital, tracked down murder convict Chandan Mishra—on medical parole in the Intensive Care Unit—and shot him dead before escaping unchallenged.
The shocking attack, caught on hospital CCTV and released by the Congress party, has sparked outrage over Bihar’s deteriorating law and order, with opposition parties blaming the Nitish Kumar government for fostering “goon rule.” Authorities have launched an intensive manhunt for the attackers, scrutinising both hospital security lapses and suspected gang rivalries, while officials urge calm in the tense aftermath.
Chilling Attack Captured on CCTV, Fuels Political Uproar
CCTV footage from Paras Hospital starkly illuminates the horror: five men, faces partially covered, stride purposefully through corridors crowded with patients, nurses, and staff. They enter Mishra’s room, fire a volley of bullets at close range, and exit just as calmly—facing seemingly no resistance from hospital security. Mishra, a notorious figure entangled in several murder cases, had been moved to the hospital under judicial orders for treatment.
Confirming the killing, Patna Central SP Diksha said, “He was receiving medical attention under court directions when the incident took place. Our preliminary probe points to old gang enmities.” Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikay Sharma disclosed, “The assailants’ identities and the possibility of an insider hand are being actively investigated.”
Opposition leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Independent MP Pappu Yadav, lambasted state authorities, calling the killing “a damning indictment of governance” and urging comprehensive reforms in policing and security protocol. Hospital authorities, meanwhile, have pledged full cooperation with investigators and are reviewing their security arrangements.
Reckoning with a Spike in Violence and Political Blame Game
Thursday’s killing is not an isolated incident: Bihar has witnessed at least 13 killings in just the past week, fuelling apprehension among citizens and intensifying scrutiny of officials. Mishra, given his profile as a ‘high-risk prisoner’ transferred between several jails, highlights the prevailing challenge of keeping even notorious accused safe when in state custody.
The Congress and RJD have accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration of presiding over a surge in violent crime, arguing that such events showcase a “systematic collapse of rule of law.” Amid mounting criticism, state police have assured a robust, multi-agency probe, questioning hospital staff, re-examining protocols for court-approved parole prisoners, and reviewing how armed men were able to enter a sensitive medical facility unimpeded. Reports suggest authorities are also looking into whether the shooters had inside help or exploited routine security lapses.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Hospitals represent hope, care, and healing—places where the vulnerable should feel safest. That such a violent attack could unfold in broad daylight in a space meant for recuperation shakes our shared trust in both the promise of public safety and the institutions meant to guarantee it.
The immediacy and brazenness of this crime reveal systemic failures that must be urgently confronted—not just by tightening security but by building robust civic and political consensus for reform.
