In Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, BJP district vice president Sagar Sahu (47) was killed at his home in Chhote Dongar village, by Naxals, at around 8 p.m., on Friday. Two Naxalites reached Sahu’s home on a bike, knocked on his door, and fired two rounds from an AK-47 as soon as the door was opened. Following the encounter, both Maoists rode away into the jungle. The neighbours arrived at the scene after hearing screams of Sahu’s wife and kids, and called the police to report the crime.
Sahu was still alive after the gunshots, according to the locals. He was rushed to the Chhote Dongar hospital. Here, the doctor immediately referred him to Narayanpur District Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead by the doctors.
Narayanpur District Hospital Civil Surgeon Vinod Bhoyar said, “When Sagar Sahu was brought to the hospital, he was in a dead state. The bullet pierced from the right side of the neck and came out from the left side of the head. These were gunshot wounds.”
Sahu’s wife and kids were also at home when the incident happened. Sahu was watching TV in his lobby when the two anonymous individuals showed up at his house. One of them was carrying a gun. When Sahu opened the door, they pushed their way inside, and the one with the gun fired two shots at him. The bullets hit him in his head and he fell on the couch.
His wife and kids ran to the hallway when they heard gunfire. They observed two individuals fleeing on the bike while holding the assault rifle. When Sahu’s family saw him lying on the couch, covered in blood, they began to scream which alerted the neighbours about the crime. The entire incident took place in less than 5 minutes.
A police station is located approximately a kilometre from Sahu’s house. Jawans from Chhote Dongar police station arrived at his home following the shooting. Two bullet casings were found at the scene. After examining the casings, the police believe an AK-47 was used to commit the crime.
Speaking to media persons, Pushkar Sharma, Narayanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) said, “Two people came on a bike, entered Sagar Sahu’s residence, and opened fire on him. He was admitted to Narayanpur District Hospital, where he died during treatment. No such information about the victim being threatened by Naxalites was received recently.”
According to Narayanpur Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hemsagar Sidar, a small action team of Naxalites is suspected of carrying out the murder based on the results of the initial inquiry. The case is still being investigated.
Sagar Sahu held the position of district vice president of the BJP in addition to working as a contractor. He used to accept contracts to construct private residences nearby. However, Naxalites had previously threatened him due to his affiliation with the political party. Sahu’s wife and kids are terrified as a result of the tragedy. They are currently staying at the house of a BJP leader in Narayanpur.
This is not the first attack on local BJP leaders in the state. On February 5, Neelkanth Kakkem, the head of the Usoor Block (Bijapur District) of the BJP Mandal, was dragged from his house and mercilessly hacked to death by axes and knives in front of his family by Maoists.
