Bihar Journalist Shot Dead In Araria, Chirag Paswan Attacks Nitish Kumar Over 'Rising Crimes'

Araria SP Ashok Kumar Singh said efforts were underway to nab the accused. 

A journalist working with Hindi daily Dainik Jagran was shot dead in Raniganj market area in Bihar's Araria on Friday, police said. Araria SP Ashok Kumar Singh said efforts were underway to nab the accused. The deceased has been identified as Vimal Kumar Yadav. 

"The journalist was shot dead by four men at around 5.30 am in Raniganj market area in Bihar's Araria. The FSL team is at the spot and deceased's body was taken for post-mortem. Efforts are underway to nab the accused," PTI quoted Araria SP as saying.

Calling it "a heart-breaking incident", Amarendra Kumar, President of Araria District Journalist Association, said, "This raises questions on law and order situation in the state."

Hitting out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the crime rate in Bihar, LJP chief Chirag Paswan said, "He (Nitish Kumar) should go show these statistics to families of police officials who lost their sole bread-winner, he should show it to the family of that journalist (shot dead in Araria)."

The incident comes days after a sub-inspector rank officer was killed by cattle smugglers in Samastipur on August 15. A bomb was also lobbed inside the Regent cinema hall premises on Thursday morning.

RJD MP Manoj Jha raked up the violence in Manipur to attack the BJP and said the Bihar government had always been steadfast in arresting culprits.

"Whenever such an incident takes place, it is a challenge for the state government. But if you look at the timeline of earlier cases, the investigation has been concluded on time and accused were arrested within 24 hours," PTI quoted Jha as saying.

"They (BJP) should remember Manipur before saying anything. It is a crime against humanity. Your supreme leader was also not able to say anything on the situation for more than two minutes," Jha said in an apparent jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Thursday, CM Nitish Kumar claimed that crime cases in Bihar were much lesser than other states of the country.

"The crime incidents are under control and the numbers of crimes are reducing. Look at the figures of crime incidents in Bihar it is much lower than the other states," IANS quoted Kumar as saying.