Patna/Chhapra: BJP leader Keshavanand Giri, an aide to BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal and known to be a local Samaritan, was shot dead on Wednesday night at Manjhi in Saran district, around 150km north of Patna.
BJP leaders and party workers in the area blocked the Manjhi-Tajpur road on Thursday to protest against Giri's murder. Maharajganj MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal also sat on a dharna demanding that the culprits behind the incident be arrested immediately. The protesters have demanded a CBI probe into Giri's murder, and till the time of filing of the report on Thursday evening, had not allowed police to take the body for post-mortem.
Manjhi station house officer Prabhakar Pathak said: "According to the victim's family, the incident occurred on Wednesday night when Giri's acquaintances visited him at home and they then went out for some work. When Giri didn't return, the family members tried to search for him. His body was found at Bangra in the Manjhi area."
Police sources said that prima facie it appeared the murder was carried out by someone the victim knew. "Police are camping at the spot and will probe the incident," added Pathak.
BJP MP Sigriwal said the incident is "shocking, and a result of the government's failure to maintain law and order in the state". The MP added that the police no longer focussed on controlling crime, but harnessed all their energy in seizing liquor.
"The criminals are out of police administration's control," he added.
Sources said that Giri, in his mid-sixties, was a popular leader in the Manjhi area. He had contested the 1985 Assembly elections from Jalalpur. He fought the 2015 Assembly poll as an Independent candidate from Manjhi constituency. Sources said Giri was called a "saint" by the people for his various welfare projects in the Manjhi area.
#Giri's murder is a throwback to the killing of former BJP vice-president and Bhojpur leader Visheshwar Ojha last year. Ojha, who had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election against RJD nominee Rahul Tiwari from Shahpur constituency last year, was shot dead at Sonbarsha village in Ara. The special investigation team probing the case have arrested a dozen people; Harish Mishra - the alleged key conspirator in his murder - was arrested from West Bengal's Hooghly district in December 2016.