SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, May 15: A youth from Hazaribagh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Baridih area under Nawadih police station area in Bokaro district late Wednesday night.
The victim, identified as Khokha Giri, a resident of Vishnugarh in Hazaribagh district, was targeted around 11:30 pm while returning from Nawadih to Vishnugarh with his father, Tulsi Pandit.
According to the Nawadih police station officer-in-charge, three masked men intercepted the car in an isolated spot in Baridih and shot Khokha Giri in the head at point-blank range. Khokha Giri was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack.
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MLA Jairam Mahto Slams Police Response
The area where the incident took place is known to be Naxal-affected. Tulsi Pandit, the victim’s father, was left alone at the scene until Dumri MLA Jairam Mahto arrived at around 1 am on Thursday and then informed the police.
Speaking from the spot, MLA Mahto alleged a complete breakdown of law and order in Jharkhand. “The incident happened at 11:30 pm, and even after reaching the spot at 1 am, the police had still not arrived,” he said.
Mahto accused the police of negligence, stating that officials were preoccupied with collecting money from illegal coal and sand mining operations instead of preventing crimes.
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He further alleged that the Bokaro Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Superintendent of Police did not answer calls, and that the Nawadih police station in-charge was afraid to visit the site due to the area’s Naxal presence.
The police have stated that the motive behind the killing is under investigation. Further inquiries are ongoing to identify and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for this brutal murder.
