Bihar: Panchayat head's husband killed in Jamui

PATNA: Motorbike-borne miscreants shot dead a 40-year-old man, stated to be husband of a panchayat head (mukhiya), in Jamui district on Tuesday morning. The deceased’s wife Paro Devi, mukhiya of Kodbaria panchayat, described the incident to be a fallout of political rivalry.
The incident took place around 6am on Tuesday when the victim, Rajesh Yadav alias Gurjar Yadav, was on his way to his new house from his ancestral home at Bhaluana village under Chandradip police station in Jamui district.The criminals hurled three bombs and then pumped two bullets into his body.
Jamui SDPO Ram Pukar Singh said that the assailants fired from close range after hurling bombs to ensure that Gurjar was dead on the spot. The bomb explosion and firing sparked off violent protest by the supporters of the deceased. Gauging the mood of the protesters, the local police had to beat a hasty retreat and seek reinforcement from the police lines at Jamui.
The police had a tough time in dealing with the situation. The body of the deceased was lifted from the spot for post mortem examination after the intervention of senior police officers, who assured the mob to bring the culprits to book at the earliest. “Raids are on to nab the accused,” the SDPO told TOI over the phone.
The deceased's wife, Paro Devi (35), mukhiya of Kodbari panchayat under Aliganj block in the district, alleged that political rivalry was the reason behind the killing. "My husband was on the target ever since I was elected as panchayat head in 2016. My husband had sought police protection, which was denied,” he alleged.
She also disclosed the names of the suspects involved in her husband’s murder. Gurjar’s younger brother Pramod Yadav was killed in 2014. The police, on the other hand, said that the mukhiya’s husband Gurjar had criminal antecedents. “He had several cases pending against him in Jamui,” a police officer posted at Chandradip police station said.
Gurjar’s murder is not an isolated case. On June 20, Riyazuddin (45), husband of Narayanpur Dohra panchayat mukhiya Rehana Khatoon, was stabbed to death by one Sher Khan under Manigachhi police station in Darbhanga district.
In addition, 55-year-old Luv Singh, husband of mukhiya of Dilawarpur Gowardhanpur panchayat Poonam Devi, was shot dead by unidentified armed criminals when he was sitting at his friend’s house at Panapur under Bidupur police station in Vaishali district on May 16.
According to a senior functionary of the state mukhiya sangh, at least 12 mukhiya ‘pati’ (husband) have either been killed or survived murderous attacks across the state since January. Besides, half a dozen former kukhiyas have also been killed.