A Bharatiya Janata Party worker in Rajasthan was shot at and then allegedly decapitated on Saturday, NDTV reported. The murder took place in Pratapgarh district in the southern part of the state.
At least three people on a motorbike shot at Samrath Kumawat, who was standing on the road, and one of them beheaded him using a sword, according to the report. However, The Times of India reported that one of the men on the bike slit Kumawat’s throat after he was shot.
Locals sat in protest with Kumawat’s body, demanding the arrest of those who attacked him. Police have assured them that they will soon take action and arrest the attackers.
Additional Superintendent of Police Ratan Lal Bhargava said Kumawat, who was the district vice-president of the OBC cell of BJP, had received threats. Additional forces have been deployed in the area, Bhargava told The Times of India.
The murder comes at a time when the state is heading for Assembly elections on December 7. Villagers said that people moving around with firearms when the model code of conduct has been enforced in the state is a serious matter.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the killing of the BJP worker. “Perpetrators of such heinous crime must be severely punished,” the Congress leader tweeted. “Pathetic condition of Law n order in state is a matter of grave concern.”
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