Rautahat, March 25:

An unidentified armed gang of five persons today shot dead Sekh Nasir of Laxmipur Tole of Gamhariya Parsa VDC. Nasir was the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha-Jwala Singh (JTMM-J) area commander.

The group forced him 500 metres away from the home and shot him dead, police said. Armed Police Force SP Ram Krishna Lama claimed that Nasir might have been killed by his own friends.

He sustained three bullet injuries. APF personnel have been mobilised to search the murderers, Lama said.

Meanwhile, the JTMM-J district secretary Kisan Singh informed over phone that his party was not involved in Nasir’s murder and that a group of dacoits might have killed him. He added that the group also looted a .303 rifle, a shot-gun and ammunition.