RAUTAHAT: An unidentified group of persons shot dead Shambhu Yadav, member of Unified CPN-Maoist Bhojpura sub-state committee, at Sitalpur of Barganiya VDC last night.

According to Pitamber Adhikari, the Superintendent of Police, Rautahat, the gang shot Yadav while he was returning home from Laxmaniya VDC. Adhikari maintained that Yadav, hailing from Sonaraniya VDC-4, had sustained injury in his neck. Adhikari said, "We have found a bullet in the incident area.'' Police have intensified its search operation in the nearby area, he added.

Meanwhile, Ashok Jaeswal, district in-charge, UCPN-M, claimed that Yadav's murder was a planned one. He accused the police of not maintaining law and order in the district. He also demanded the culprit be brought to book at the earliest. He said, "The government should be responsible for any untoward incident if the administration failed to bring the culprit to book.''

Protesting the murder, the UCPN-Maoist has called an indefinite transportation bandh in the district. Vehicles remained off the roads in some parts of the East-West Highway and Gaur-Chandranigahapur section today.