Youth Shot Dead on Way to Kedarnath Pilgrimage in Hazaribagh

Hazaribagh: A young man was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district on Tuesday while he was on his way to begin a pilgrimage to Kedarnath, triggering shock and concern in the area.

The deceased, identified as Vicky Soni, was a resident of Okni in Hazaribagh town. The incident took place near Karso Bridge under the jurisdiction of Barhi police station.

According to police, Vicky was travelling with his friend Abhishek Kumar Upadhyay in a car to Koderma railway station, from where they were scheduled to board a train for Kedarnath. Their journey was interrupted when one of the vehicle's tyres got punctured near Karso Bridge. The two stopped by the roadside and started replacing the damaged tyre.

While they were busy changing the tyre, two unidentified men arrived on a motorcycle and allegedly opened fire on Vicky without any apparent provocation or exchange of words. One of the bullets struck him in the neck, causing him to collapse on the spot. The attackers fled immediately after the shooting.

Hearing the gunshots, local residents rushed to the scene and attempted to take the injured man to a hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries before he could receive medical treatment.

Police officers led by Barhi police station in-charge Vinod Kumar reached the spot soon after being informed and launched an investigation. Evidence has been collected from the crime scene, and CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined to identify the perpetrators.

Investigators are probing all possible angles, including personal enmity and criminal rivalry, as the motive behind the killing remains unclear. Police have initiated raids to trace and arrest the accused.

The body has been sent to Barhi Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination, while further investigation into the case is underway.

With inputs from IANS