The bureau chief of Hindi daily ‘Hindustan’ was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while he was returning home on Friday.
According to a Hindustan Times report, 42-year-old Rajdeo Ranjan was on his way home on his motorcycle when the five unidentified assailants on to motorcycles shot at him multiple times.
One of the bullets hit him in the neck and another in the head. He was taken to a local hospital but was declared dead.
The Indian Express reported that Ranjan had left the office on Friday evening after receiving a call and left after telling colleagues that he had some urgent work to attend to.
The report also said that Ranjan extensively covered politics and crime in the area and had written several reports on former Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin.
But it wasn’t even the first time that he has been attacked. The journalist, who had over 20 years of experience, had been attacked by a group of men outside the Hindustan office in 2005.
The Hindustan reports that a group of men had assaulted him outside the newspaper’s office but Ranjan had been unable to identify any of them and no FIR had been filed at the time.
He is survived by one son and daughter, the report said.
The opposition parties have criticised the government over the killing saying that it’s a sign over deteriorating law and order. The state government has promised to bring the culprits to justice at the earliest.
Feature image source: ANI/ Twitter