2 detained for murder of journalist Rajdev Rajan

Two people were detained in Siwan, Bihar today in connection with the murder of journalist Rajdev Rajan on Friday, the police said. Ranjan, who was the district chief of Hindi daily 'Hindustan', was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants when he was on his motorcycle. Notably, Ranjan had written several reports on crime and politics in the Siwan district.

Rajdev Rajan, Hindi daily Hindustan’s Siwan bureau chief, was shot dead in the Bihar town on Friday evening.

Two people were detained in Siwan district Saturday following the murder of senior journalist Rajdev Rajan, SP Saurav Kumar told news agency ANI. The interrogation is underway, he added.

Rajan, Hindi daily Hindustan’s Siwan bureau chief, was shot dead in the Bihar town on Friday evening.

Police said the incident took place around 8 pm when the 42-year-old was shot dead at Phal Mandi near Siwan station, barely half a km away from Town police station. Two bullets hit Ranjan— one on his forehead and the other, his neck.

Ranjan had left his Siwan office Friday evening after receiving a call. One of his colleagues said: “He left office saying he had urgent work. It was unusual for him to leave the office at peak hour.”

Sources said Ranjan was intercepted by two bike-borne assailants, one of whom fired from close range. He died on the way to hospital.

Ranjan, a postgraduate who also held a law degree, started his journalistic career with Hindustan nearly 16 years ago as a stringer from Siwan. He had covered Siwan politics and crime extensively and had penned several reports on court proceedings against former Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin.