Another Hindi daily journo shot dead in Bihar

Barely six months after the murder of Siwan journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, another reporter was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-borne criminals in Bihar's Rohtas district on Saturday morning.

The incident took place in the Amra Talab area under Sasaram Mufassil police station, when 35-year-old Dharmendra Singh, associated with a national Hindi daily newspaper, was having a cup of tea at a roadside tea stall near his house. "Three assailants, who were on a motorbike, came near the tea stall and opened fire. The bullet hit him in his chest," a police officer said.

Locals rushed Singh to the Sasaram Sadar hospital from where he was referred to Varanasi after some primary treatment. However, Singh succumbed to his injuries on the way. Sources said Singh had received threats from the stone crusher mafias in the area against whom he had published some reports.

Officials said an investigation is under way and raids were being conducted to nab the criminals. Singh is survived by his wife and a son. The Opposition attacked the state government, claiming that there was a deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was busy with his 'Nishchai yatra' while people were being murdered. On Thursday too, Ramchandra Yadav, a Mukhiya at a panchayat in Darbhanga, was shot dead by unidentified criminals.