Jharkhand: AJSU party leader shot dead ahead of Ramgarh bypolls

Munda was gunned down on Wednesday night at Amjharia village, about 65 km from Ranchi where he was at a traditional cock fight

An AJSU party leader was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in by-poll bound Ramgarh of Jharkhand, police said on Thursday. Manoj Munda (32) was a block vice-president of the party in Patratu block of Ramgarh district, the police said.

He was gunned down on Wednesday night at Amjharia village, about 65 km from Ranchi, when Munda was watching the traditional cock fight in the village, the police said. The AJSU and opposition BJP have denounced the murder and demanded the arrest of the killer/killers.

Patratu sub-divisional police officer Birendra Kumar Chaudhary confirmed the killing and said that Munda was reportedly shot at at close range and died on the spot.

AJSU party’s Ramgarh district president Dilip Dangi said the murder raises doubts about free and fair election in the February 27 by-poll and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

BJP state president Deepak Prakash speaking to PTI claimed that the law and order situation has deteriorated in the state under the UPA government. “A detailed probe is required in the case as it could be a political murder,” he said.