Palkot Bandh: Residents Protest Raja Saheb Devvrat Nath Shahdeo's Arrest in Tribal Priest Murder Case

Gumla: Hundreds of residents on Sunday enforced Palkot bandh in solidarity with Raja Saheb Devvrat Nath Shahdeo’s arrest by Khunti district police in connection to the murder of tribal priest (Pardha Raja) Soma Munda last week. Munda was shot dead by unidentified criminals while he was going home with his wife on the bike.Notably, Shahdeo hails from the former Palkot princely estate here. Residents enforced the bandh demanding Shahdeo’s release claiming that he was being wrongly implicated. The bandh was staged under the Nav Yuvak Sangh Palkot. Vehicular traffic remained unaffected but people faced hardship due closure of commercial entities.The protest march began from Sanjay Chowk to Basia Mor, and then back to the main marketplace, where it converted into a public meeting.According to Khunti police, Shahdeo was trying to sell 3.16 acres of land at Jiarappa village in Khunti police station area. Munda and others objected to this as a traditional fair is organised here for many years. Last Nov, levelling work was done on that land and stone markers were removed, which Munda opposed. Following this, a conspiracy was hatched for his murder.Basant Gupta, a protester, said, "We are distressed over the killing of Padha Raja Soma Munda ji. We want a high-level inquiry into the case, but we strongly deny the involvement of Raja Saheb for a small plot of land.”