A first-time elected councillor and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Pankaj Rai at Bihar's Hajipur was killed on Tuesday evening when three men on a motorcycle arrived and opened fire on him while he was standing at a clothing shop near his home.
As per reports, Rai tried to escape by running into his house when the firing started. However, he failed to save himself as the attackers got off their bike and followed him inside before firing multiple bullets at him.
After a preliminary investigation, it has been revealed that Rai had filed a complaint regarding a dispute six months prior to his murder. According to his family, no action was taken. According to the police, the CCTV footage of the area is being scanned as part of the investigation.
Following the incident, senior police officials including Superintendent of Police (SP) Har Kishore Rai visited the crime scene and the hospital to gather details and reassure the grieving family.
Strongly condemning Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said, "NDA goons led by Nitish Kumar shot dead ward councillor Pankaj Rai in Hajipur at night. The Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers are sleeping peacefully while their goons are creating mayhem," Mr Yadav said.
Besides Yadav, RJD MLA Mukesh Roshan labelled the murder as a failure of governance.
"Pankaj Rai was an active worker of the RJD. His murder is a testament to the fact that lawmakers are not save inside their own homes. It's 'jungle-raj' in Bihar", he said.
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