Aurangabad Maoist attack: Killing of BJP lawmaker’s uncle reportedly linked to Rs 7 crore deal

A day after Maoists shot dead the uncle of a Bharatiya Janata Party MLC, set a house and 10 vehicles on fire in Bihar's Aurangabad district, reports are emerging that the incident was a fallout of a deal to exchange banned notes during demonetisation. According to reports, pamphlets found on roads of Aurangabad claim that the lawmaker and his cousin were to help exchange banned notes. 

"Rajan Singh should return the Rs 5 crore in old currency notes the CPI (Maoist) had given him after the demonetisation to exchange them (against new notes), and pay his levy dues of Rs 2 crore," said a newspaper quoting the pamphlet.    

Superintendent of Police Satya Prakash said the Maoists attacked Sudi Bigaha village under the jurisdiction of Deo Police Station late on Saturday night, during which 55-year-old Narendra Singh was shot dead. Singh is the uncle of Rajan Kumar Singh, a BJP member of Bihar Legislative Council, he said.     

According to the SP, the Maoists fired several rounds and set 10 vehicles on fire, including three tractors parked at Narendra Singh's house. The Maoists also set a house belonging to one Dhananjay Singh, a dafadar with Deo police station, on fire located near Sudi Bigaha village, SP said.     

After getting information about the Maoist attack, security forces reached the village and exchanged fire with the Naxals, who then fled from the spot, Prakash said. Senior police officers, including the SP and CRPF Commandant Saurav Choudhary, are camping in the village. The SP said police have launched a massive search operation after cordoning off the area.     

Meanwhile, the BJP MLC held the police and the state government ‘responsible’ for the attack. "Naxal attack in the village is the result of mistakes of both the administration and the state government. I had given an application to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the DGP for setting up a police station or at least a police outpost in the village but no action was taken. The administration and the state government are responsible for the incident," the BJP MLC said. 

With PTI Inputs