Dhanbad, Mar 22: Former Dhanbad deputy mayor Niraj Singh and three others were killed after unidentified gunmen fired on their car at Saraidhela around 7pm Tuesday night.
Singh, who was with his personal assistant Ashok Yadav and a bodyguard, was being driven home, barely 2km away, when they were fired upon. Sources said their car had slowed down at a speed breaker when the gunmen, at least four in number, started to shoot.
Bokaro DIG Saket Singh confirmed Niraj Singh's death, but refused to provide details. "His death is confirmed but there are aspects about the shooting that are not clear. We are working on that," he said.
DGP D.K. Pandey has ordered constitution of a Special Investigation Team.
Soon after the shooting - sources claimed 27 rounds were fired - residents rushed to the site and informed police.
Personnel from the nearby Saraidhela police station rushed the injured to Central Hospital at Jagjivan Nagar, more than 2km from the spot. But Niraj, Ashok, his bodyguard Laltu and driver Munna seem to have died on the spot, judging by the number of bullet holes on the car's windshield and windows.
Niraj, who is elder brother of Dhanbad deputy mayor Eklavya Singh, contested the 2014 Assembly elections on a Congress ticket from Jharia, but lost to his cousin, Sanjeev Singh of the BJP.
Today's shooting comes after a similar attack on February 29 in which Ranjay Singh, a close aide of Sanjeev, was killed near Big Bazaar area of Dhanbad. Ranjay was on a scooter with his friend Raja Yadav and they were going to Sanjeev's residence at Saraidhela when they were fired upon.
Raja Yadav, who had survived the attack, told police he had noticed two persons standing at the gate of Niraj's residence prior to the attack, and that they were the assailants.
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