A 28-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by unidentified criminals near Karso bridge in Hazaribag district late on Monday while he was on his way to Koderma railway station for a pilgrimage to Kedarnath.
The deceased has been identified as Vicky Soni, a resident of Okni in Hazaribag town. He had left home with his relative, Abhishek Kumar Upadhyay, who was driving him to Koderma station where Soni was to board a train.
Upadhyay said the incident occurred around 11 pm when their car suffered a sudden tyre puncture near Karso bridge. Both stepped out and began changing the tyre. Suddenly, two unidentified men on a motorcycle arrived at the spot and, without any conversation or provocation, opened fire, shooting Soni in the neck.
As Soni collapsed on the road, the attackers fled. Locals, alerted by the gunfire, rushed to the spot and informed police. However, Soni succumbed to his injuries before he could be taken for treatment.
Family members demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. Police later sent the body to the sub-divisional hospital in Barhi for post-mortem examination.
Barhi police station officer in-charge Vinod Kumar said that all angles are being probed. "We have collected evidence from the crime scene and are examining CCTV footage from nearby areas. Raids are being conducted to arrest the accused," he said.
Police said Soni owned a jewellery and utensil shop in Korra area. His father died in a road accident two years ago. Family members said his marriage had recently been finalised, but he had planned to visit Kedarnath first to seek blessings. His friends had reached Koderma and were waiting for him.
