Hazaribagh (IANS): A late-night dispute over playing music escalated into a violent attack in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district, leaving a 30-year-old man dead, police officials said on Friday. The incident took place on Thursday night, January 1, in the Indrapuri Chowk area of the city.
The deceased has been identified as Suraj Kumar Rana, a resident of Madai Khurd, who worked as a tiles and marble mason. According to police and eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred around 9 p.m. when an argument broke out between a group of youths returning from a picnic. Suraj Kumar Rana, married for five years, was the sole breadwinner of his family. He is survived by his wife and two young children. The incident has left the family and local community in shock.
Family members and witnesses said the disagreement quickly turned violent, after which Suraj was forcibly dragged towards the Red Cross building and assaulted. Eyewitnesses alleged that the attackers continued to beat him and later dragged him to Lal Kothi Chowk, where he was allegedly attacked with a sharp weapon, leaving him critically injured.
Local residents, alarmed by the disturbance, immediately alerted the police. Upon arrival, police rushed the severely injured Suraj to Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at around 11 p.m.
The killing triggered panic and tension in Indrapuri Chowk and surrounding localities, with large crowds gathering at both the crime scene and the hospital. Police deployed additional forces in the area to prevent any escalation and to maintain law and order.
Police officials said the area has been secured, evidence has been collected, and the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. Preliminary investigations suggest the murder stemmed from a personal dispute, though authorities said all possible angles are being examined.
Several suspects have been detained for questioning, and raids are ongoing at multiple locations to trace and arrest those involved in the crime, police added.
