Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Dhanbad town vice president Shankar Rawani (50), and his wife Balika Devi (45) were brutally murdered at their house on Saturday night.
They were residents of Gaurkhunti,under Bhowra Police outpost, about 25 km from Dhanbad district headquarters .
The incident came to light on Sunday at around 9 am, when local residents inforned the police. Neighbours noticed that doors of the single storey house were unusually locked till late morning. They weren't able to elicit any response even after knocking several times.
Bhowra police aarived and broke open the door to find two dead bodies lying in a pool of blood in the courtyard.
City SP R Ram Kumar (in grey t-shirt) at the crime scene. Shabbir Hussain
Police recovered a dagger and two 9 mm empty shells, along with some cloth and other articles from the site.
An FIR is likely be registered after Karan Rawani, the deceased's son who runs a small business in Chakradharpur, arrives.
Dhanbad City SP R Ramkumar who reached the site in the morning, along with Sindri DSP Ajit Kumar and Bhowra police outpost in-charge Kalika Ram, said, “We can’t say anything at the moment with regard to the incident as the matter is under investigation”.
Councillor of ward number 50 Chandan Mahto said, “ The deceased were stabbed and shot in what seems to be a case of gruesome murder.”
A local resident said several articles lay broken all around the house, suggesting struggle.
Shramdev Singh Chandravanshi, a JMM activist close to Shankar Rawani, said, “Animosity between the families of Shankar and his cousin Dhiren Rawani, as well as other coal outsourcing contractors, is the probable cause behind the murders. Shankar had written to Dhanbad police seeking security, but his request was not entertaied."
Jharia MLA Purnima Niraj Singh consoling a family member of the deceased. Shabbir Hussain
Dhiren, Shankar Rawani's cousin, who was also his business partner and former neighbour, was killed on August 18, 2017. Kunal Rawani (25), Shankar Rawani's son, an accused in the murder, was killed by an irate mob on the same day.
Shankar and Dhiren started a lottery business in late 80s at Gaurkhunti. Later they founded a non-banking finance company, Nagmani, in the early 90s. Dhiren and Shankar locked in dispute and parted ways soon after, with Shankar establishing his own chit fund company Rainbow, later rechristening it as Rainbow Smart Cooperative Society.
Dhiren shifted to Mithu Road in Dhanbad town after the dispute with his cousin. Both lodged several cases against each other in different police stations of Dhanbad, including Sudamdih PS.
Jharia MLA Purnima Niraj Singh interacts with JMM General Secretary Vinod Pandey (in black shirt). Shabbir Hussain
Ramesh Tuddu, JMM district president, said, “Shankar was an active JMM leader and the manner in which he and his wife were killed requires serious investigation.”
Ragini, BJP leader and wife for former Jharia MLA Sanjeev Singh, said, “The law and order situation in the district has dipped ever since the new government came in power.”
