NEW DELHI: Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP leader Champai Soren on Thursday criticised the Hemant Soren-led government over the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state following the murder of BJP leader Anil Mahto, also known as ‘Tiger’. “Criminals are ruling (the state). The law and order have been finished, and ‘Jungle Raaj’ is going on. There is no law and order here…” Soren said.
The killing sparked protests from BJP MLAs at the Legislative Assembly premises, demanding action against the perpetrators. Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi declared that the bandh called by the BJP and AJSU Party was a success. “The Bandh called today has been successful,” Marandi said.
Mahto, general secretary of the BJP’s Ranchi rural unit and a former zila parishad member, was shot dead in broad daylight on Wednesday near a police station. He was reportedly preparing for Mahaveer Jayanti when bike-borne assailants shot him in the head at a busy roundabout and fled. He was rushed to RIMS, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Following the incident, BJP and AJSU Party supporters enforced a Ranchi bandh, burning tyres and blocking major intersections like Kanke Chowk, RIMS Chowk, and Booty More. While police have not disclosed a motive, locals claim Mahto was involved in land dealings. A mandal member present at the scene said, “He asked us to go home and have lunch. As soon as I arrived home, I was told that he had been shot.”
Police arrested one suspect, Rohit Verma, after an encounter in which he was shot in the leg. He is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital. “The other assailant has been identified, and raids are underway to nab him. A special investigation team will investigate the case,” IG Akhilesh Jha said.
Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta called Mahto’s killing unfortunate and assured strict action. “We would ensure arrest of the criminals. Police must prevent crime, but after an incident, it is necessary to catch the criminals,” he said.
Senior BJP leaders, including former Union minister Arjun Munda, former CM Babulal Marandi, and AJSU-P chief Sudesh Mahto, met Mahto’s family at RIMS to offer condolences. Munda said, “The morale of criminals is high, and the incident raises question marks over the law-and-order situation of the state capital.” Marandi also took to X, stating that even public representatives were not safe and called for CM Hemant Soren’s resignation. The Ranchi Congress unit expressed sorrow over Mahto’s murder.