YOUNG FARMER SHOT DEAD SLEEPING

YOUNG FARMER SHOT DEAD SLEEPING

15-MARCH-ENG 11

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------In Sohra village—located within the jurisdiction of the Krishnagarh police station in the district—a young farmer was shot dead while he was sleeping in a *palani* (a makeshift shelter). The deceased sustained a gunshot wound to his left temple, with the bullet passing straight through and exiting from the right side of his head. The incident has created a sensation throughout the village and the surrounding areas. Upon receiving the information, Krishnagarh Station House Officer (SHO) Roshan Kumar arrived at the scene with a police force and immediately commenced an investigation into the matter. An FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team was summoned to the crime scene; upon their arrival, the team collected various pieces of evidence from the site.

According to reports, the deceased has been identified as Chandrashekhar Kumar, a 22-year-old son of Prabhunath Prasad, a resident of Ward No. 7 in Sohra village, under the Krishnagarh police station area. He lived in the village and worked as a farmer. Meanwhile, the deceased's cousin, Manoj Kumar Prasad, explained that there is a *palani* situated in front of their house; it was in this very shelter that Chandrashekhar lived and slept. On Friday night, after finishing his dinner, he had gone to sleep in this same shelter. Sometime later—at approximately 9:00 AM the following morning—he was shot dead. The family members returned from the fields at 10:00 AM, and after having their meal, they went back out again. It was around 11:00 AM that they received the news that he had been shot dead.

On the other hand, the deceased's cousin, Manoj Kumar Prasad, has categorically denied the existence of any enmity or dispute with anyone within the village. He stated that two days prior, a scuffle had broken out between two groups of children in a field located within the village, and Chandrashekhar had intervened to break up the fight. It is currently suspected that the murder may have been committed as a result of this specific dispute. However, the identity of the killer—as well as the precise motive behind the young man's murder—remains unclear. Nevertheless, the police are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter from their end.

Separately, Sadar SDPO-II (Sub-Divisional Police Officer) Ranjit Kumar Singh confirmed that a fight involving some children had indeed taken place in the village two days earlier, and that the deceased had stepped in to resolve the altercation. He noted that, *prima facie* (on the face of it), the evidence suggests that the murder was committed as a consequence of this particular dispute. In connection with this matter, the police have taken two named individuals and one unidentified person into custody for questioning.

It is reported that the deceased was the fourth among his four brothers and one sister. His family consists of his mother, Shrimato Devi; three brothers—Saroj Kumar, Shiv Nandan Kumar, and Vipin Kumar; and one sister, Pooja Devi. Following the incident, the deceased's home was plunged into chaos. His mother, Shrimato Devi, and all other family members were inconsolable with grief.