PATNA: Armed criminals shot dead a former mukhiya at Sao Ji Ka Tola in Bakhri village under Musrigharari police station area of Samastipur in broad daylight on Friday.
The slain mukhiya has been identified as Shashinath Jha, aged around 58 years. The killing took place at around 9.30am.
He was native of Bakhri village and was mukhiya of Bakhri Buzurg panchayat for two consecutive times.
Jha’s wife Madhuri Devi was the mukhiya of this panchayat, until the term of all panchayats in the state ended on June 15 this year.
Jha also ran a bus stand at Musrigharari chowk for several years and was considered to be an influential person in the area, as per police.
Soon after the killing, his supporters blocked the Musrigharari chowk by placing vehicles in the middle of the road, barricades and by arson.
It is the NH-28 which passes through this chowk and connects Muzaffarpur to Begusarai.
The traffic remained disrupted for almost more than an hour and the blockade was removed by police after pacifying the protestors.
When asked, Samastipur SP Manavjit Singh Dhillon told TOI over phone that Jha was returning towards his car parked on a village road after a meeting with two families in the tola when he was shot dead.
“Eye witnesses told police that one Rajesh Pal with another associate approached near Jha and opened fire six rounds. Four bullets hit Jha in the chest and other body parts after which he fell down at the spot,” he said.
Dhillon said that Pal and his associate fled from the spot on foot after killing Jha. “Several residents recognised Pal immediately as he hails from the same,” he said.
The SP said that Jha had gone to the spot to resolve a dispute between two families on a private road going on amid them. “He had parked his car a bit far as the road was too narrow to reach upto their houses,” he said.
SP Dhillon said at least two separate pistols were used in killing Jha as police recovered two empty cartridges of 7.65mm and four of 9mm.
He said that police probing if it was personal enmity going on from earlier due to which he was shot dead.
Musrigharari police station SHO Sanjay Kumar Singh the shooter Rajesh is accused in at least three criminal cases including of a murder which took place last year. “He had been to jail in 2018 and then in the first half of last year. He was continuously evading arrest after the last year's murder,” Singh said.
SHO said that raids were conducted at Rajesh’s residence in the village but he was evading arrest. He said police are trying to ascertain the identity of the second shooter.
“Body has been sent to post-mortem after which it would be handed over to the family. Police are awaiting a written complaint from their side to resgister an FIR,” he added.
