Businessman, former councilor shot dead in Hazaribagh; causes public outrage

Hazaribagh, October 29 (IANS): Manjeet Yadav, a businessman and former councilor of Hazaribagh Municipal Corporation, was shot dead by assailants in the Khirgaon area of ​​Hazaribagh in Jharkhand on Tuesday morning. Despite being quickly rushed to a nearby hospital, Yadav succumbed to his injuries around noon.

The killing sparked widespread anger among local residents. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Hazaribagh Chowk District Administration office and blocked the Ranchi-Patna road. They expressed strong resentment towards the police and local authorities due to the poor law and order situation in the district.

The authorities deployed heavy police forces along with Vajra vehicles to the area to maintain law and order.

According to reports, Yadav was standing near his residence in Bara Bazar area of ​​Hazaribagh when three assailants on one motorcycle approached him around 8.30 am on Tuesday and shot him multiple times with a Mauser and a revolver.

At that moment he collapsed on the threshold of his house. Nearby residents, alarmed by the sound of gunshots, ran outside and discovered that the attackers had already fled on a bicycle after committing the crime.

Following the news of his death, tension rose across Hazaribagh and crowds gathered at the hospital and then blocked the Chowk District Administration office, causing traffic delays on the Ranchi-Patna road. They started shouting slogans against the police administration when the news of Manjeet Yadav’s death spread.

Yadav, who earlier served as the chairman of the committee organizing the massive Ram Navami festival in Hazaribagh, was also a former ward councilor of the Hazaribagh Municipal Corporation. In recent years, he has been involved in the real estate industry.

The police initiated actions to capture the suspects. Early investigation suggests that business rivalry may be a potential motive for the murder.

However, authorities have not yet confirmed any specific leads.