CHHAPRA: A BJP leader in Bihar who had been a longtime aide of BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal was shot dead by three unidentified men outside his village in Saran district late on Wednesday night.
The body of Acharya Keshvanand Giri, 60, who was a well-known grassroots-level BJP leader in his own right in the district, was found lying on a dirt road outside Mathia village on Thursday morning. His grieving family told officials at Manjhi police station that he woken up at about 11 PM by three men who came on a bike and knocked on the door.
“Giri was asked by the men to accompany them. He got dressed in dhoti, kurta and a jacket, and went out with them, telling his family that he would be back in an hour,” said Manjhi police station house officer Prabhakar Pathak.
His body was found in a pool of blood with a bullet injury in his head. A bullet of a rifle apparently fired from a locally-made pistol called “desi katta” caused the death, said sources.
“The body has been sent for autopsy after pacifying villagers angered by the apparent murder. An investigation is on and a manhunt has been launched,” said DSP (Sadar) Manish Kumar.
The news of Giri’s death led to the assembling of a large crowd at the spot and at his house. He had contested the Assembly polls from Jalalpur constituency on a BJP ticket in 1985 and lost. He was also elected a sarpanch. For the past few years, he was engaged in social work and was often seen with the MP.
Police sources said Giri did not have any personal enmity with anyone and that the murder seems to have been politically motivated.
Sigriwal, the MP from Maharajganj Lok Sabha constituency, could not be contacted for his comments on the murder. Senior BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi condemned the murder and demanded the immediate arrest of the killers.
“This murder is just another reminder of the total crumbling of law and order situation in Bihar,” said Modi.