Janakpurdham, February 6

Rajendra Prasad Yadav, who was elected Nepali Congress regional representative from Dhanusha Constituency-1 at the ongoing local NC convention, was shot to death yesterday night.

Likewise, Nasimullaha Rain, active NC member from Dhanusha, was critically injured when he was hit by the bullet on Saturday morning.

An underground outfit, Janatantrik Tiger Janashakti Party, has owned up responsibility for both the incidents.

Rajendra was the relative of NC lawmaker Mukta Yadav. Lawmaker Yadav said Rajendra, 45, was shot in his home at Bairiya Tole of Balabakhar VDC-4 at 9:30pm.

According to Yadav, Rajendra had received phone calls frequently before the incident. “The killers have taken his mobile phone too,” Yadav said.

Rajnedra received three bullets on his stomach, chest and neck. He died on the spot.

The body was handed over to his family after post-mortem at Janakpur Zonal Hospital.

Likewise, Rain, 40 from Charnath Municipality-2, Bharatpur, was shot when he had gone out of his house to buy medicine at 8:30am today. Two persons riding a motorbike had opened fire from behind and fled the scene, Dhanusha police said.

An injured Rain was airlifted to Kathmandu after he could not be treated at Janakpur Zonal Hospital.

Locals had tried to follow the shooters on a motorbike, but while chasing them, their bike met with an accident. The perpetrators had opened firing at a passenger van at Kamala Bridge. They had fled towards Bandipur of Siraha.

NC leaders and cadres from Constituency-1 vented ire at the leaders from Constituency-3 for giving continuity to the regional convention in the wake of the murder of the regional representative and shooting of an active member.

NC leaders Bimalendra Nidhi, district President Ram Saroj Yadav, lawmaker Ram Krishna Yadav and Lila Koirala, who are in the district, did not show up at the hospital.

Dinesh Prasaila, lawmaker from Constituency-1 said that both the incidents were politically motivated. He demanded that the guilty be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, Military commander Prithvi Singh of Janatantrik Tiger Janashakti Party, said that his party had to take action against Rajendra and Rain after the NC defied his party’s 10-day ultimatum to halt its VDC and municipal conventions. Over phone, Singh took responsibility for both incidents.

Dhanusha police Chief SP Ramdutta Joshi said the identities of people involved in both the incidents were yet to be ascertained. He pledged to bring the guilty to book.