Bihar: RJD leader chased into his home, shot dead
What's the story
Pankaj Rai, a local councilor and member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), was shot dead at his residence in Hajipur, Bihar on Tuesday evening.
The assailants, three men on a motorcycle, opened fire on Rai while he was at a nearby clothing store.
Despite seeking refuge in his house, the attackers pursued him indoors and fired multiple rounds.
Rai sustained three gunshot wounds and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Accusations
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav targets Nitish Kumar
Following the incident, RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav held Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his government responsible for Rai's murder.
He accused them of failing to maintain law and order in the state.
"NDA goons led by Nitish Kumar shot dead ward councilor Pankaj Rai in Hajipur at night," Yadav said.
He also criticized the state leadership for their alleged indifference toward escalating violence.
Criticism
'Jungle raj': RJD MLA hits out at state government
RJD MLA Mukesh Roshan also visited the hospital and expressed his concern of Bihar's deteriorating law and order situation after Rai's murder.
He described the incident as a failure of governance saying, "Pankaj Rai was an active worker of the RJD. His murder is a testament to the fact that lawmakers are not safe inside their own homes."
He hit out at the state government for its inability to protect its citizens, referring to it as "jungle raj" in Bihar.
Negligence
Rai's family claims police inaction on previous complaint
Rai's family revealed that he had lodged a complaint about a dispute six months before his murder, but no action was taken by the police.
Following the shooting, senior police officials including Superintendent of Police (SP) Har Kishore Rai visited the crime scene and hospital to console the bereaved family.
An investigation has been initiated with efforts underway to identify the culprits using CCTV footage from surrounding areas.