Ranchi, Dec 15 (IANS): Madhusudan Rai, also known as Madhu Rai, a real estate businessman, was shot dead in broad daylight by criminals in the Namkum area of Ranchi on Sunday.
The brazen attack, carried out in the middle of the road, created panic across the city.
According to reports, Rai had left his home in Rajaulatu Unidih, under the Namkum police station, on a scooter. He was attacked near Kawali, where the assailants shot him and fired 12 bullets after he collapsed on the road. The criminals fled the scene without any resistance.
Rai succumbed to his injuries on the spot. Upon receiving the news, his family members and local residents gathered at the site and blocked the road in protest. Police later managed to clear the blockade after lengthy discussions and sent the body to RIMS for postmortem.
Several senior police officials arrived at the scene to assess the situation. The case is under investigation, but the motive for the murder remains unclear. Authorities suspect the attack took place due to business rivalry or personal enmity, as Rai had a history of disputes.
Notably, Rai had been the target of previous attacks. Around 15 years ago, his wife was killed in a firing incident in Rajaulatu during a land dispute. He was also shot and injured in 2016.
In another incident, the body of a woman Chandravati Devi, a resident of Murkunda Kumhartoli in Jharkhand’s Gumla district, was recovered on Sunday from a forest near her village, three days after she went missing.
Chandravati Devi’s son, Sunil Mahato, had filed a missing person report at the local police station on December 12, suspecting her kidnapping.
The family has alleged that Chandravati was murdered by villagers who suspected her of practicing witchcraft. On Saturday, her family discovered broken bangles and a bundle of firewood in the forest, which they reported to the police. Acting on this information, the police intensified their search, leading to the recovery of her body.
The victim’s family claims that Chandravati had been harassed for months by certain villagers who accused her of being a witch.
Despite filing a complaint about these threats at the Gumla police station, no action was reportedly taken.