Ram Kumar Singh, 67, former assistant commissioner of customs, was fatally shot in front of his son Rajesh Kumar at the gate of their house in Arrah, Bhojpur district, on Thursday morning. The bullet wound was fatal; Singh was rendered dead before he could reach the hospital, having been struck eight times by unknown assailants who fled immediately. Police say a land dispute may have prompted the murder. Singh had purchased 13 kathas in Rajesh's name, and a group of men allegedly tried to seize the property, prompting him to file a complaint. Sushali Devi, his wife, alleges that forged documents were used to threaten and attempt to confiscate the land. Singh had previously received threats over the same issue. Senior police officers Awadhesh Dixit and Sushil Kumar inspected the scene and are expanding the investigation beyond the land dispute theory, activating local intelligence to track the shooters. The police expect to identify the attackers in the coming days, while the family mourns the loss of a devoted father and community figure.