Tense after BJP man’s murder, Madhya Pradesh town further rocked by ‘suicide’, shootout

Katni ASP Santosh Kumar Dehariya said, “Both men have been hospitalised under guard in Jabalpur and face murder charges.”

The suspects are accused of shooting Nilesh Rajak (40) outside a bank in Kymore town on Tuesday, at around 11 am. He was pronounced dead at Vijayaraghavgarh Hospital shortly after the attack. Security camera footage showed two masked assailants fleeing the scene on a motorcycle at high speed after the shooting.

Rajak had been active in the BJP for 18 years. In 2023-24, he was appointed president of the BJP’s OBC wing at the mandal level and also served as a booth president. He had also previously been the head of the Bajrang Dal’s cow protection activities. He worked as a vendor at a local cement plant in Kymore.

Hours later, Nelson Joseph, the father of suspect Prince Joseph, was found dead at his residence in what police described as an apparent suicide. Authorities have not provided further details about the circumstances. “We are questioning the family to ascertain why he took his own life,” Katni SP Abhinav Vishwakarma said.

Police said their preliminary investigation suggested that the killing of the BJP worker stemmed from a dispute that started several months earlier.

SP Vishwakarma told The Indian Express, “The accused, Akram, had a verbal altercation with the deceased several months ago. At the time, Akram was driving a car for a family and was going to drop a woman off at the local school. When the vehicle was not allowed inside the premises, Akram got into an argument while making a case for the woman, as she was unable to walk. The deceased (Rajak) then got into a fight with him. For months since then, they kept feuding with each other over this.”

Unrest in Kymore

The killing of Rajak triggered immediate unrest in Kymore and nearby Vijayaraghavgarh. Merchants closed their shops, and protesters blocked roads demanding arrests. By Tuesday evening, demonstrators had staged a sit-in outside Vijayaraghavgarh Government Hospital. Rajak’s family refused to permit a post-mortem examination until the suspects were detained.

SP Vishwakarma announced that he “had attached Kymore Station Inspector Arvind Chaubey and Head Constable Prem Shankar Patel to police lines for alleged negligence”.

With tensions mounting near the police station and surrounding areas, riot police were deployed in large numbers. Atul Singh, the Deputy Inspector General of Jabalpur, led a flag march through Kymore on Tuesday evening to maintain order.

Shootout and arrest

Acting on information that the suspects were hiding in Kajarwara, police assembled a team that moved into position in the early hours of Wednesday. According to ASP Dehariya, the suspects opened fire when officers surrounded the location.

“Acting on the input, a team surrounded the area at around 2 am,” Dehariya said, adding, “Seeing the police, the accused opened fire. In retaliation, the police fired four rounds, injuring both accused in their hands and legs.”

On Wednesday, Rajak’s family agreed to proceed with the post-mortem examination and make funeral arrangements. The heavy police presence deployed on Tuesday remained in place as a precautionary measure.