Patna: Rajdeo Ranjan, senior journalist in Bihar and the Siwan Bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot dead by criminals on Friday. Police said that 5 criminals, who were on motorcycles, shot Ranjan twice while he was walking down the road to his home. Though he was rushed to hospital, doctors declared him brought dead.
Reacting to the murder of the scribe in Siwan, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said while Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is touring Varanasi, the fourth estate is “in danger” in his state. He tweeted “This is not jungle raj. This is maha jungle raj…Sad to know about his killing, Rajdeo was a fearless journalist.”
Siwan is the stronghold of former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, who is serving a life term in jail for the abduction and murder of two people in 2004. He still exerts considerable influence in the area. The motive behind the incident is unclear, as his colleagues said Ranjan had no personal enmity with anyone.