Pedestrian also injured in firing, cops suspect revenge angle
Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Oct 18: Armed assailants shot at Mango resident and former BJP leader Rajesh Singh at the parking lot near Basant Central in Sakchi on Tuesday afternoon.
A pedestrian, Mohammad Mumtaz of Kapali, Islamnagar, who was purchasing fruits near the parking facility, was injured in the firing. He sustained a bullet wound in his thigh.
The victim, accused in Shanky Yadav murder case of Mango, had a narrow escape as the bullet brushed past his head. His friend Triloki Poddar who accompanied him also ran to escape his life.
The two threw stones on the assailants to save themselves and ran towards the nearby traffic check-post. Thereafter the assailants escaped on a scooty towards Sakchi roundabout, sources said.
The broad daylight shootout, reportedly carried out with a carbine, sent panic among shoppers and commuters in the busy Sakchi main road near Basant Central.
Rajesh Singh had gone to Civil Court at Bhuiyandih. After court, he went to Sakchi and parked his car near Basant Central and went to a restaurant for lunch with his friend. On his return, the assailants, who had covered their faces, fired on him.
Cops recovered carbine magazine, a country-made gun, four empty pellets and two bullets from the scene along with a bag reportedly left behind at the firing scene by one of the assailants. The victims were taken to Tata Main Hospital.
Sources said Rajesh Singh, a resident of Baliguma, was earlier in jail in connection with Shanky Yadav murder case. A former Mango unit president of BJP, he is out on bail in this case. He was expelled from the party after his name surfaced in the murder case. Investigators suspect the role of Shanky’s brothers Deepak Yadav and Sandeep Yadav in this case. More people may be involved in the shootout, they said.
Sakchi police reached the scene on getting information about the shootout. SP City K Vijay Shankar reached the crime scene and led the investigation team.
Adityapur Pratap Singh, son of Rajesh Singh, alleged that Deepak Yadav, Santosh Yadav and Lakhu Tantubai were involved in the firing on his father. “My father had a dispute with Shanky Yadav earlier and was jailed in his murder case. Lakhu Tantubai joined hands with Deepak and Santosh and they had planned to kill my father. Police should arrest the culprits without delay,” he said.