Bullet-riddled body of an RTI activist, who has been missing since Friday, was found near the bank of Sone river in Patna on Saturday, police said.
The police have identified the deceased as 32-year-old Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Janpara village in rural Patna.
While the police officials said a probe has been launched to nab the unidentified accused, social activists and Kumar’s peers suspect the role of sand mafia in the murder.
According to the police, Kumar’s body was spotted early on Saturday by some passersby. He reportedly suffered head injuries and had bled out, said an official. A team of forensic experts, along with a dog squad, also visited the spot.
City Superintendent of Police (west) Ashok Mishra said the police were investigating the case from every angle, including the possibility of an enmity.
Residents of the Janpara village, however, pointed at involvement of the sand mafia , saying Kumar uncovered huge irregularities in the sand mining trade in the state and had initiated a massive movement against the sand mafia in Paliganj sub-division through social media, which brought into the limelight the nexus between corrupt officials and sand mafia.
Bihar-based RTI activist Shiv Prakash Rai said that over 16 RTI activists had been killed in the state over the past 11 years and that the government and the police were of no help despite several pleas.
{{/usCountry}}Bihar-based RTI activist Shiv Prakash Rai said that over 16 RTI activists had been killed in the state over the past 11 years and that the government and the police were of no help despite several pleas.
{{/usCountry}}