The Siwan Sadar Hospital complex echoed with the sound of gunshots on Friday night when a dispute between two ambulance drivers turned violent. The matter concerns a fight over ambulance fares, in which one driver shot the other. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. when an argument broke out between two private ambulance drivers—Pradeep Kumar and Mandhan Singh—who were standing at the hospital's main gate. The argument escalated so quickly that Mandhan Singh pulled out a pistol, shot Pradeep, and fled the scene.
After being shot, the injured driver Pradeep Kumar was immediately admitted to Sadar Hospital, but due to his serious condition, he was referred to Patna for better treatment. Immediately after the incident, the police sprung into action, and Siwan SP Manoj Kumar Tiwari, who arrived at the scene, converted the hospital complex into a police cantonment.
Case Had Occurred Before
According to the police, both drivers are residents of the same village in the Bhagwanpur police station area, and there was an old dispute between them. Earlier, there had been a fight between the two, regarding which a case was registered at the police station, and both the accused were currently out on bail.
On Friday night, both were standing outside the hospital as usual, parking their ambulances and standing at a nearby tea shop, when a dispute arose over something, and the matter escalated to firing. Police have also recovered a bullet casing from the scene.
Search for the Accused Continues
Providing information about the incident, SP Manoj Kumar Tiwari said that this is a case of mutual animosity and a police team has been formed to arrest the accused. He also assured that all possible treatment is being provided to the injured and the matter is being investigated expeditiously.
Currently, this incident has also raised questions on the security arrangements of the hospital complex, where an incident like firing was carried out late at night. The police are trying to get to the bottom of the whole matter.
