KHUNTI: A tribal village head was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jharkhand's Khunti district, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place on the Namkum-Jamuadag Road under Khunti police station limits on Wednesday evening, when he was returning home on a motorcycle with his wife.
The deceased was identified Soma Munda, who had also contested the assembly polls from the Khunti assembly seat in 2024.
He was the 'Adel Sanga Padha Raja' (traditional head of 22 villages).
Khunti SDPO Varun Rajak said two unidentified bike-borne miscreants shot at Munda when he was returning home around 7 pm.
"He was taken to a hospital by locals, where doctors declared him brought-dead," Rajak said.
The SDPO said police have started an investigation, and all angles related to the incident will be explored.
Congress' Khunti MP Kalicharan Munda expressed grief over Munda's death and urged the police to arrest the culprits at the earliest.
"Such incidents raise concerns over law and order situation. Police should immediately arrest those involved in the crime, and reveal the cause of the killing," he said.
Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Champai Soren wrote on X, "This incident reflects the deteriorating law and order situation in Jharkhand. May Marang Buru grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to the family to bear this sorrow. You will forever remain in our memories.
Meanwhile, various tribal organisations took to the streets on Thursday morning in protest, putting up road blockades at several places.