Bajrang Dal worker murdered in Madhya Pradesh's communally sensitive Ratlam

Sangh Parivar activists forced a shutdown in communally sensitive Ratlam town in Madhya Pradesh on Friday.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

BHOPAL: Sangh Parivar activists forced a shutdown in communally sensitive Ratlam town in Madhya Pradesh on Friday to protest the midnight killing of a young Bajrang Dal worker, Rajesh Sankhla.

In the morning, over 200 activists of the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other saffron outfits forced closure of shops in the commercial areas of the town including Manak Chowk, Chandani Chowk, Station Road, New Cloth Market, Kothari Market and Gulab Market. The markets opened later in the day under heavy security cover. Private schools remained closed as a precautionary measure.

The 20-year-old Bajrang Dal worker was shot dead by three unidentified men on College Road at around 12.15 am Friday. He was rushed to the Ratlam district hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The son of a grocery trader, Sankhla was an accused in three criminal cases, including one of murder, an Arms Act case and a case of extortion. In 2014, he was arrested for the murder of a youth, Danish, over a money dispute.

Ratlam district superintendent of police Amit Kumar Singh said CCTV footage from the crime scene is being scanned. “We are also analyzing phone call details as well as some audio clips from Sankhla's cell-phone," he said.

Police are also probing a possible link to the 2014 killing of Danish for which Sankhla was arrested in the past.

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