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New Delhi, June 22, 2026: In a deeply distressing turn of events, Vijayendranath Tiwari (also referred to as Vijendra Nath Tiwari), the elder brother of National Award-winning Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi, was brutally attacked with an axe on the night of June 21, 2026. The violent incident took place in Belsand village (Tiwari Tola), located within the Madhopur Police Station limits (under the broader Barauli police circle) in Bihar’s Gopalganj district. The attack, which left the actor’s brother with severe, critical injuries, reportedly stemmed from a long-standing land dispute and mutual enmity with a neighboring family. Swift police action following the assault led to the immediate arrest of the primary suspect, identified as Rajesh Sah.
According to local law enforcement authorities and eyewitness accounts, the horrific incident unfolded late Sunday evening while Vijayendranath Tiwari was supervised a routine domestic activity outside his ancestral residence. Tiwari was getting soil filled in a low-lying patch of land adjacent to his house when the conflict suddenly escalated. Taking advantage of the dark hours and approaching from behind, the primary antagonist, Rajesh Sah, along with a few alleged associates, ambushed Tiwari. The attackers were armed with heavy, sharp-edged weapons, including an axe, as well as blunt instruments like sticks and iron rods.
Without warning, the assailants struck Tiwari repeatedly. The most devastating blows were delivered with the axe, inflicting deep lacerations and substantial trauma on the victim. Hearing the frantic cries and the ensuing commotion, family members and nearby villagers courageously rushed to the spot to intervene. Witnessing a crowd rapidly gathering, the attackers panicked and fled the scene, leaving a heavily bleeding Tiwari on the ground.
Recognizing the gravity of his physical state, family members rushed the injured Vijayendranath Tiwari to the Gopalganj Sadar Hospital for emergency medical intervention. After providing initial stabilizing care, the attending medical staff noted the severity of the deep wounds and the extensive loss of blood. Realizing that the local facility lacked the highly specialized infrastructure required for such deep trauma, doctors immediately referred him to the state capital for advanced treatment.
Tiwari was quickly transferred via ambulance to the prestigious Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). Senior medical specialists at PMCH took immediate charge of his treatment, administering specialized trauma care. While initial reports from the hospital described his condition as critical due to the nature of the sharp-weapon injuries, senior doctors later confirmed that following extensive medical procedures, his vitals have stabilized, and he is currently under close observation in a controlled, out-of-danger state.
The news of the murderous assault on a high-profile celebrity’s family member sent shockwaves through the district, prompting an immediate and massive law enforcement mobilization. Upon receiving information about the bloody clash, a heavy police contingent led by Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO-2) Rajesh Kumar and the Madhopur Station House Officer (SHO) rushed directly to Belsand village to restore order and secure the crime scene.
Given the high-profile nature of the victim’s family and the gravity of the assault, the Bihar Police took no chances with the integrity of the investigation. A specialized Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team was summoned to the site on Monday morning to meticulously map the crime scene and collect crucial physical evidence. During the preliminary sweep, forensic experts and local police successfully recovered the bloody axe allegedly utilized in the execution of the crime, alongside blood-stained garments discarded by the accused.
Sadar SDPO-2 Rajesh Kumar, while briefing the media on the breakthrough, clarified the deep-seated root cause of the violence. “Our preliminary investigation clearly indicates that this brutal assault was the byproduct of a long-festering land dispute and old enmity between the Tiwari family and their immediate neighbor, Rajesh Sah,” the senior official stated. “The victim was carrying out minor groundwork near his property when he was aggressively blindsided from behind. We have already registered a comprehensive First Information Report (FIR) based on the formal statements provided by eyewitnesses and family members.”
The police department’s swift, aggressive multi-directional raids bore fruit within hours of the incident. The main accused, Rajesh Sah, who had initially absconded into hiding after the village crowd gathered, was successfully tracked down and apprehended by a designated special police task force. He has been taken into strict police custody, and the legal formalities to transfer him to formal judicial remand are actively underway. Meanwhile, police teams are conducting further localized raids to identify and round up any additional associates who may have abetted Sah or provided material logistics during the midnight ambush.
Belsand village in Gopalganj holds an incredibly special place in the Indian cultural landscape, as it is the official birthplace and ancestral home of actor Pankaj Tripathi. Despite his stratospheric rise to fame in Mumbai’s film industry through iconic roles in Mirzapur, Gangs of Wasseypur, and Criminal Justice, Tripathi has famously maintained an incredibly humble, deeply grounded connection to his rural roots, frequently visiting his elder brother and extended family in Gopalganj to escape the bustle of Bollywood. The local community has expressed deep shock and anger over the incident, as the Tiwari family is widely respected across the region for their simple living and gentle demeanor.
As of Monday afternoon, senior administrative and police officials confirmed that the law-and-order situation in Belsand village remains completely normal and peaceful, with additional police pickets temporarily deployed as a precautionary measure to prevent any retaliatory communal friction between the families. While Pankaj Tripathi’s representatives have not yet issued an official public press statement regarding the traumatic family emergency, sources close to the family indicate that the actor is closely monitoring his elder brother’s health progression at PMCH Patna and is in constant communication with the top brass of the Bihar Police to ensure that the legal process moves forward transparently and swiftly.