Woman shot dead by husband in Bihar; locals say she is Union minister Manjhi's kin

A 32-year-old woman was allegedly shot dead by her husband in Bihar's Gaya district after an altercation, police said on Wednesday. The incident happened in Tetua village in the Atari police station area, they said.

Sushma Devi's husband Ramesh Singh , a truck driver, had come home from Patna on Tuesday.

"They had an argument last night. Amid that, he shot her dead and fled in the morning," alleged Poonam Kumari , Sushma's younger sister.

Police said a country-made pistol was seized from near Sushma's body, which was found lying in a pool of blood.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anand Kumar said the body was sent for the post-mortem examination.

"Investigation is on and a search is underway to nab the accused," he said.

Villagers claimed that Sushma was distantly related to Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who represents the Gaya seat in the Lok Sabha.

Despite repeated attempts, state minister Santosh Kumar Suman, Majhi's son, could not be reached for a comment.