Bihar police officials allegedly chased a 27-year-old youth and shot at him for trying to evade helmet and driving licence checking in Jehanabad district.

The youth is currently battling for his life in a private hospital.

The shocking incident occurred on Tuesday near Anantpur village under the Ghosi police station area and triggered an outrage among the people.

It led to the arrest of one of the accused and action against four other police officials who were part of the traffic checking team.

An FIR has been registered and an enquiry has also been instituted.

The victim Sudhir Kumar, a resident of Korthu village, was going to Bandhu Bazar on Tuesday morning for some work. He saw a police team checking commuters for helmets, driving licences and documents pertaining to their vehicles.

“Sudhir was on his way to the market on a motorcycle. He reached Anantpur village on his way and saw the police stationed there. He did not have a driving licence, hence became afraid and tried to escape from there. The police gave him a chase, overtook and stopped him, and then shot at him,” Sudhir’s father Ravindra Yadav told reporters.

Sudhir fell on the road after being shot. Later the locals rushed him to Shivansh Hospital, a private medical treatment facility.

“The patient was shot in the top right part of his chest. The bullet damaged the lungs, intestines and liver. It has not exited and is trapped around his lower back. His condition is very serious,” said doctor Rajnish Kumar of Shivansh Hospital.

Meanwhile, the police acted swiftly after the incident and arrested assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Mumtaz Ahmad. He has been forwarded to jail.

“The ASI who fired at the youth is in jail now. The Okri police outpost in-charge, station house officer Chandrahas Singh and another ASI Bhim Kumar Singh have been suspended while constables Vimal Kumar and Mahesh Kumar have been sent to the police lines,” Jehanabad sub-divisional police officer Ashok Kumar Pandey told The Telegraph.