Man Shot Dead By Armed Assailants In Rajasthan's Chittorgarh, Police Suspect Sand Mining Dispute

Ajayraj Singh Jhala was shot dead by 25 armed men at a Chittorgarh hotel, allegedly over a mining dispute. Locals protest, refusing to claim his body until arrests are made. Police are investigating.

Nearly 25 attackers arrived in seven vehicles, some with their faces covered with towels, and surrounded the hotel before suddenly opening fire at the group.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

Jaipur, Jun 2 (PTI): A 33-year-old man was shot dead in by a group of armed men at a hotel in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh, with police suspecting that an old dispute over bajri (sand) mining to be the motive behind the attack.

The incident occurred on Sunday night when Ajayraj Singh Jhala, son of a retired Assistant Sub-Inspector and resident of Nimbahera, was having dinner with three friends at a hotel near Semalpura intersection in Kotwali area on Sunday night, police said.

According to police, nearly 25 attackers arrived in seven vehicles, some with their faces covered with towels, and surrounded the hotel before suddenly opening fire at the group. Ajayraj was hit by a bullet and collapsed on the spot. Police said two of the attackers -- history-sheeter Bhairulal Gurjar and Diggi Raj Singh -- then allegedly dragged Ajayraj and threw him from the first floor of the hotel.

The assailants also torched two vehicles while leaving the premises, a police officer said. The victim's friends rushed him to a nearby private hospital on a bike, where doctors declared him brought dead.

The incident sparked public outrage and on Monday morning, a large number of locals gathered outside the hospital mortuary and staged a sit-in protest, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused.

The family has refused to accept the body until the arrests are made.

"A dispute between both parties is being investigated," Additional Superintendent of Police Sarita Singh said, adding that police teams have been formed to trace the attackers. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)