A 27-year-old man from Dudhpania village in the Dumri subdivision of Giridih district was shot dead in a crossfire between police and an extortion gang involved in illegal liquor trade in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, reports said.
The deceased has been identified as Vijay Kumar Mahato. He sustained injuries during the encounter and was admitted to a hospital, where he later succumbed. His family was informed of his death on October 24.
According to reports, Mahato worked for Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company. On the day of the incident, he had gone to the work site to collect some materials when he was struck by a bullet fired by local police. In a final voice note to his wife, Mahato mentioned that he had been hit by a bullet meant for someone else.
“Before dying, he even sent a voice note in Kortha to his wife, saying he had been hit by a bullet meant for someone else and was pleading for help,” his brother-in-law, Ram Prasad Mahato, was quoted as saying.
Following the incident, local MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato wrote to the Indian Embassy and the Jharkhand Governor, demanding an impartial investigation into Vijay Kumar Mahato’s death.
News18 reported that Shikha Lakra, head of Jharkhand’s State Migrant Control Cell, confirmed that the government had received a complaint from the Dumri MLA. She said, “The process to bring back his body started today. The matter has been referred to the Protector of Emigrants (Ranchi) and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh for investigation and repatriation.”
However, Vijay Kumar Mahato’s family has refused to proceed with the repatriation process until Hyundai Engineering provides written assurance of compensation.
Vijay Kumar Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and his parents.
