Patna, July 14 (IANS) A police inspector was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bihar's Araria district on Tuesday while he was on a routine check, police said.

Parveen Kumar, police officer in-charge of Bhargama police station, was shot in Belsandi area when he asked some youths to stop their vehicle for checking, a district police official said.

The policeman died on the spot.

According to police, an informer called Parveen Kumar on his mobile phone to inform him that some criminals were likely to cross Belsandi area.

A search operation has been launched to nab the culprits.