Daltonganj: A 62-year-old farmer was shot dead near his house under Pipra Tarn police station limits of Palamu district on late on Tuesday. The body of Raj Muni Pathak, who was a resident of Karma village under Amba Baar panchayat, was found in a field on Wednesday early morning by members of his family.Police suspect a land dispute may be behind the killing, though the motive remains unconfirmed, police sources said.The body bore firearm injuries in the back and forehead. Lesliganj sub divisonal police officer Manoj Kumar Jha said, “Police are investigating the murder. Pathak was shot in the head from behind. The exit firearm injury is in the forehead.”The officer-in-charge of Pipra Tarn police station Nilesh Kumar, quoting the family, said, “Two people showed up at Pathak’s house around 8 pm on Tuesday. He came out in a vest and underwear and walked down with the visitors.” The family did not immediately suspect anything as they assumed that Pathak had gone to a wedding ceremony which was underway in the village.“Had there not been a wedding ceremony nearby, the family of the deceased must have been out looking for him at night but since there was a ceremony and the deceased was a sociable fellow, everyone in his family thought him to be in the ceremony. This his killers exploited to the hilt,” a local said, requesting anonymity.
