RJD leader chased into home, shot dead in Bihar’s Hajipur; Tejashwi Yadav blames NDA goons

RJD Hajipur councillor killed: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and ward councillor Pankaj Rai was killed on Tuesday evening in Bihar’s Hajipur when three unidentified miscreants on a motorcycle arrived and opened fire on him while he was standing at a clothing shop near his home.

According to media reports, Rai—a first-time elected councillor—tried to escape by running into his house when the firing started. However, he failed to save himself as the attackers got off their motorcycle and followed the councillor inside his house, firing indiscriminately at him.

After hearing the gunshots, his family members and locals rushed to him and took him to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead by the doctors.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the Ward 5 councillor had filed a complaint regarding a dispute six months before his murder. However, no action was taken, alleged his family members.

Hajipur police said the CCTV footage of the area is being scanned as part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav took to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) and blamed the Nitish Kumar-led government for sleeping peacefully in an attack he claimed was led by NDA goons.

"NDA goons led by Nitish Kumar shot dead ward councillor Pankaj Rai in Hajipur at night. The Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers are sleeping peacefully while their goons are creating mayhem," Tejashwi Yadav said.

The RJD leader accused Nitish Kumar and the ruling NDA of failing to maintain law and order in the state. The former deputy chief minister said crime has reached a new high in the state… Nitish Kumar is looking helpless...It is a double-engine government, but crime is rising.”

"A public representative was murdered. Crime has reached a new high in Bihar. It is getting out of the hands of Nitish Kumar, he is not being able to run Bihar properly. The home ministry is with him, and he has failed. He is tired. We have been releasing the bulletin of crime. People are panicked, not going out of their homes, murders are happening inside homes. Bombs are being exploded in Patna...Nitish Kumar is looking helpless...It is a double-engine government but crime is rising. I am going to meet the victim in Hajipur..." Tejashwi told reporters.

Another RJD MLA, Mukesh Roshan, who visited the hospital, criticised the state's law and order situation, labelling the murder as a failure of governance.

“ Hajipur city councillor Pankaj Rai had applied for security 6 months ago but Nitish Kumar's police did not pay heed to his request... As a result, the life of another public representative was lost due to jungle raj..”