Around 7:30 PM last evening, assailants opened fire indiscriminately on a black Mahindra Scorpio car in Dhanbad. The former deputy mayor of Dhanbad, Neeraj Singh and his three aides were killed in the shootout. While his aides died on the spot, 38-year-old Singh was rushed to the nearby Central Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Initial reports claim that the weapons used were AK-47s. However, ADG (Operations) R K Mullik had said, “At least a dozen rounds were fired … Things will be clear as the investigation progresses.”

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has asked the Director General of Police (DGP) for a speedy investigation. Singh had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Jharia on the Congress party ticket.

According to regional Hindi newspaper Prabhat Khabar, at least 40 to 50 rounds were fired on Singh’s car. Over 20 bullets had hit Singh. Nine mm bullet shells were recovered from the spot.

A possible angle being investigated is that of family rivalry. Singh is the nephew of the dreaded coal mafia head turned politician Surya Deo Singh. Surya Deo’s son, a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Jharia Sanjeev Singh has been linked with mining activities in the region.