BJP leader shot; he allegedly intervened in 'love jihad' case
What's the story
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was shot dead in broad daylight in Madhya Pradesh's Katni district on Tuesday. The victim, identified as 38-year-old Neelu (Nilesh) Rajak, was the president of the local BJP Pichda Morcha Mandal. He was riding his motorcycle in Kaimor town when two masked men on another motorcycle shot him at close range around 11:30am.
Investigation update
Accused identified; suspect father dies by suicide
The accused have been identified as Prince (30) and Akram Khan (33). Soon after learning about his son's alleged involvement in the crime, Nelson Joseph, Prince's father, allegedly died by suicide. Katni Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhinay Vishwakarma said an intensive search operation has been launched to apprehend the accused. "We have identified the accused and launched an intensive search operation," SP Vishwakarma was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Political fallout
BJP MLA alleges murder over 'love jihad' intervention
The incident has sparked political tensions, with BJP MLA and former minister Sanjay Pathak alleging that Rajak was killed over his intervention in a case of "love jihad." Pathak claimed Rajak had intervened when a girl complained about harassment on her way to school. He alleged that even at the Kaimor police station, Akram had threatened to kill Nilesh. However, instead of taking action against the harasser, the police acted against Rajak.
Community unrest
Protest erupts; residents demand justice
Following the incident, protests erupted with residents demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible. Rajak's family and supporters blocked roads outside Vijayraghavgarh Government Hospital, refusing to allow a postmortem until justice was served. The protest was joined by local BJP leaders, including Pathak and Deepak Tandon Soni. Pathak demanded action similar to what he called "Yogi Waalaa Nyay (Justice like Yogi's)," referring to actions taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government.
Law enforcement action
Police take precautionary measures to prevent communal flare-ups
In response to the unrest, Jabalpur Deputy Inspector of Police Atul Singh led a flag march through Kaimor to prevent communal flare-ups. SP Vishwakarma assured swift action against those responsible for Rajak's murder. "We have said from the beginning that strict action will be taken against those responsible," he said. The town inspector and head constable have been attached to police lines over negligence in handling the case.