Bihar: Municipal councillor Pankaj Rai was in a garment shop near his house in Hajipur, Bihar, when three men arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire on him on Tuesday evening. Rai, a first-time elected municipal councillor and member of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), tried to escape by running into his house. However, the attackers pursued him inside the house and shot him multiple times, hitting him with three bullets.

When his family and local residents heard the gunshots, they rushed to the scene and took him to a hospital, but unfortunately he was declared dead on arrival. A CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced online, showing the exact moment when unidentified gunmen shot the RJD leader.

Tejashwi Yadav condemns attack on party leader

RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav strongly condemned the incident and accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of failing to maintain law and order in the state.

Blaming the government for allowing the violence, Yadav said, “NDA goons led by Nitish Kumar shot dead district councillor Pankaj Rai in Hajipur at night. The chief minister and two deputy chief ministers are sleeping peacefully while their goons are creating chaos.”

Investigations launched into this matter

According to an NDTV report citing police, Rai had already filed a complaint about a dispute six months before his murder, but his family claimed that no action was taken. After the murder, senior police officials, including Superintendent of Police Har Kishore Rai, visited the crime scene and the hospital to collect details and offer comfort to the grieving family. An investigation has been launched and police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the area to trace the suspects.

RJD MP Mukesh Roshan also visited the hospital and criticised the law and order situation in the state, terming the murder a failure of the government. He reportedly said, “Pankaj Rai was an active RJD worker. His murder is proof that MPs are not safe even in their own homes. Jungle Raj prevails in Bihar.”