PATNA/ARA, Oct. 12 -- A 25-year-old Home Guard personnel was shot dead inside the barracks of Sandesh police station in Bihar's Bhojpur district late on Sunday night, police said on Monday.

The deceased, identified as Monal Kumar Rai, was struck in the chest by a bullet fired from a .303 service rifle by a colleague, who fled the scene immediately after the incident and remains absconding.

Bhojpur superintendent of police (SP) Awadhesh Dixit said it was yet to be determined whether this was a case of accidental firing or murder. He added that Rai and the suspect hail from the same panchayat, but there was no known history of a dispute between them.

Police said the incident took place at the Sandesh police station barracks around 10.15 ...