Patna, Dec 29 (IANS): A former mukhiya (village head) in Bihar's Jamui district was gunned down by half a dozen unidentified assailants on Tuesday, police said.

The deceased, identified as Niranjan Singh, 52, was on a morning walk around 8 a.m. when assailants indiscriminately fired at him, leaving him critically injured. He succumbed to his injuries while being taken to hospital in district headquarters Shekhpura.

Villager Avinash Singh said that the attackers split into two groups, one of which was firing indiscriminately on the main road towards the village in a bid to prevent anyone from coming to help, while the other group fired at Niranjan Singh.

The slain man's wife Rubi Devi, said that Shambhu Singh had personal enmity with her husband, and alleged that he was behind the murder.

Jamui SDPO Rakesh Kumar said: "We have received a complaint against Shambhu Singh and efforts are on to identify the other attackers. Shambhu has been booked under relevant IPC sections of murder and criminal conspiracy. They (the accused) will be arrested soon."

With this, the state has seen five murders in the last 48 hours in different districts.

In Araria, a chemist was gunned down on Monday afternoon while a farmer was killed in Muzaffarpur. A loco pilot of Indian Railways was killed in Danapur while a student was gunned down in Madhepura.