Ex-Maoist commander shot in Jamui, police probe old links

Patna: A former Maoist commander, Lakhan Yadav, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Baratan village in Jamui district on Saturday evening. The incident took place when Yadav was attending a post-Christmas celebration in the village. Police said Yadav had earlier been involved in several Maoist activities, including the Jhajha GRP loot case and the burning of a road construction company’s JCB machine in Bongi. He was arrested in 2020 and later released on bail. Police are investigating the incident and trying to ascertain the motive behind the killing, including whether it has any link to his Maoist past, officials said on Sunday.Yadav was a resident of Chilkakhar village in Jamui district. After dissociating himself from Maoist activities, he was earning a livelihood by driving a tractor to support his family. Local residents said he had been living a peaceful life in the village for a long time and was not involved in any criminal activity recently. The deceased’s brother-in-law, Tuntun Yadav, said, “Lakhan went to the nearby village Baratand on a motorcycle with two other people. After some time, we received information on the phone that he was shot dead.” Following the incident, a large number of villagers gathered at the spot, creating tension in the area.Charkapatthar SHO Ranjit Kumar, along with a police team, reached the site and cordoned off the area. Police collected evidence and other crucial clues from the scene, while a forensic team was also roped in to assist with the investigation.Jhajha SDPO Rajesh Kumar said, “Unknown criminals have shot dead a former Maoist commander. The reasons for the murder have not been clearly ascertained yet, but an investigation is being conducted from every angle.” He added that Yadav was arrested in 2020 and, based on information provided by him at the time, police had recovered a cache of weapons from near his house. He was currently out on bail.Police sources said the deceased had married twice. He has one son and one daughter from his first wife and a son from his second wife. Investigators said all possible angles, including personal enmity and past criminal links, are being examined.Charkapatthar SHO Ranjit Kumar said, “Five empty cartridges were recovered from the crime scene. Apparently, the attackers opened indiscriminate fire, giving the deceased no chance to react. Yadav has two cases registered against him at Charkapatthar police station, while information about his involvement in other criminal incidents is being gathered from police stations across the district.”