PATNA, June 30 -- A 35-year-old man, a key witness in a double-murder case of lawyers, was shot dead while his brother sustained gunshot injuries in an attack by two bike-borne miscreants near Methwalia Chowk near Chanchaura village under Mufassil police station limits in Saran district early Monday, police said. Irate family members and residents blocked the Chhapra-Patna NH and disrupted vehicular traffic for more than five hours in protest, demanding immediate arrests of the unidentified attackers. They also questioned security provided by police to a witness in a sensitive criminal case. The blockade caused long traffic jams on both sides of the highway. The protestors alleged that the murder is directly connected to the killing of lawyer Ram Ayodhya Rai and his son advocate Sunil Kumar Rai who were shot dead on June 12, 2024, while travelling to court in connection with a land dispute. Police said that the brothers were returning home from a wedding ceremony in a neighbouring Pipra locality when attacked around 12.20 am. Pankaj Kumar Rai received a bullet injury to his head and died on the spot, while Manish Kumar Rai was shot near the ear and is being treated at PMCH in Patna. "Early Monday, the patrol team received information about two persons lying in a pool of blood on the road. On reaching the spot, they found two injured people. During initial probe, bullet marks were found on both bodies, after which the case of murder and attempted murder surfaced," said Saran SP Vineet. The family suspects that the murder was carried out to influence or eliminate a prime witness in the case. Police have now started an investigation into the incident, detaining two persons for questioning. Search for the accused persons is underway. An SIT led by additional SP has also been constituted. Police said the team is conducting continuous raids to identify and arrest the criminals. However, police have not officially confirmed the motive behind the murder, stating all possible angles, including personal enmity, the previous double murder case and other disputes, are being investigated. Meanwhile, protestors alleged that they had sought security outside the court several times but no action was taken. According to the family, Pankaj and his father Ramdev Kumar Rai were prime witnesses in the case and Pankaj was scheduled to depose before a court in Chhapra in the first week of July....