A 42-year-old AJSU Party activist was shot dead at Dulmi village under Chowka thana area in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district about 30 kms away from here on Friday night. Identified as Subodh Singh Sardar, the victim was riding back home at Kharsawan from a football tournament organised at Chowka around 8.30 pm when he was shot.

Some local residents rescued the victim and rushed him to Tata Main Hospital in an autoricshaw, but doctors on the emergency duty officer the hospital declared him as brought dead.

The police are in complete dark about the attackers except that the assailants had fired twice at the victim, causing one of the bullets had pierced through his shoulder.

OC, Chowka thana, Dhanraj Kumar said that the deceased had a criminal record and it suspected that the murder was the outcome of the enmity with a rival gang.

"The victim who was a resident of Kharsawan was riding back home on his bike alone. The assailants must have followed him and opened fire on him at an isolated place. As there was no one around, we could not say anything about the attackers at the moment, but we will definitely find out those responsible for the killing," said Kumar while talking to The Telegraph Online.

The Chowka OC who had visited the spot and to the Tata Main Hospital said they have shifted the body to MGM medical college mortuary for postmortem.

"After a postmortem is carried out and the pellet taken out from the body that we will be able to get some clue to the killer. We are, however, trying to find out the gang the victim had rivalry with," the OC said.

According to sources, despite Holi festival celebrated across the region, the police are collecting video clippings from those turned up to watch the football tournament and also taking statement of people in Dulmi village for getting a clue to the killer.