Former area commander of banned outfit shot dead in Hazaribagh

Hazaribagh, July 2 Anis Ansari, a former area commander of the banned extremist outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), was shot dead under mysterious circumstances in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district, officials said.

His bullet-ridden body was found early Wednesday morning near the Gerua river along the Keredari-Bundu Road in the Keredari police station area.

Ansari, originally a resident of Matve village under Budhmu police station in Ranchi, was reportedly shot two to three times in the chest.

Locals discovered the body and informed the police, who reached the spot, took possession of the body, and sent it for a post-mortem examination.

Police officials said Ansari had a criminal record and multiple cases were registered against him across different police stations.

Initial investigations suggest that the killing may be the fallout of an internal dispute between rival criminal or extremist groups.

Significantly, Ansari had been expelled from the TPC last year. In July 2024, the outfit issued a pamphlet under the name of its zonal commander, Abhishek, declaring that Ansari -- also known as Avinash -- had been removed for misconduct.

The pamphlet accused him and another former cadre, Rameshwar Mahato alias Pahadi, of extorting money from contractors and businessmen in the name of the 'VKS Tiwari Gang'. The document had warned of disciplinary action.

Sources say the current killing could be linked to an ongoing turf war over extortion networks and influence in the region, involving both extremist groups and organised criminal gangs.

The Keredari region has witnessed a spurt in violence in recent days. On June 25, two local animal traders -- Phooleshwar Bedia and Baiju Bedia -- were shot in broad daylight in the same police station area after allegedly being asked to pay an extortion demand of Rs 5 lakh.

Police have intensified patrolling in the area and said that investigations are underway to ascertain the exact motive behind Ansari’s murder and identify those responsible.

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