Palamu police step up hunt for assailants in Hussainabad murder
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, September 4: Palamu police have intensified the search for three people named in an FIR after a…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 4: Palamu police have intensified the search for three people named in an FIR after a 25-year-old man was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Hussainabad on Thursday night.
The deceased has been identified as Om Prakash Singh alias Chhotu. The incident took place around 8.30 pm on Purandar Bigha Road under Hussainabad police station limits.
According to police, Singh was in an SUV when he was attacked. He was rushed to the Sub-Divisional Hospital, Hussainabad, where the doctor on duty declared him brought dead.
Hussainabad SDPO Divyansh Shukla said the preliminary investigation suggested that the killing was planned and targeted.
Police said Singh was shot in the head and back from close range. Four empty 9mm cartridges have been recovered from the scene.
However, police have refrained from commenting on the exact firing distance until the post-mortem report is available. “Police can’t hazard any guess” on whether the firing was from close range, Shukla said.
Investigators are also examining whether Singh was shot inside the SUV or forced out of the vehicle before being killed. The SUV has been taken into police possession for forensic examination.
Three named in FIR, no arrests yet
Police said the deceased’s father, Bhuvan Singh, lodged an FIR naming three people. A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
No arrest or detention had been made till the filing of this report.
Police sources said Singh had eight criminal cases registered against him, most of them under the Arms Act. Investigators are examining whether the murder was linked to an earlier criminal rivalry or was an act of revenge.
Police also suspect that the killing could have involved hired assailants from Bihar, given Hussainabad’s proximity to the neighbouring state.
“We are working on every angle, including the possibility of the killing being carried out by hired goons,” SDPO Shukla said.
Murder triggers protest
The killing triggered protests in Hussainabad, with local residents and supporters burning tyres and blocking traffic. Family members and supporters demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Police said they were examining all possible angles, including the relationship between the deceased and the suspected assailants, as part of the investigation.
