Patna: In the latest in the spate of lawlessness that seems to have gripped Bihar ever since the Nitish Kumar-Lalu Yadav combine swept to power in the state, Sudesh Paswan, a leader from Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and his brother were today murdered by Maoists during campaigning for panchayat polls in Bihar's Gaya district, police said.
Sudesh Paswan and his brother Sunil Paswan were killed in broad daylight near Tola Dubat in Gaya, a district police official said.
Maoists also torched two cars and a motorcycle used in the campaigning in support of the slain LJP leader's wife, who is in the fray for the village head's post.
The state of Bihar has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons from past few weeks. On Sunday, a journalist with the leading Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar was abducted by a local contractor.
Earlier, several incidents, where journalists have been murdered or received death threats, have been recorded in Bihar.
Last week, Rajesh Singh, a journalist with a Hindi daily, lodged an FIR at the Laheri police station against Janata Dal (United) MLC Hira Vind after receiving death threats.
42-year-old Rajdeo Ranjan was shot dead by criminals near the Siwan railway station, earlier in May. Two bullets were fired at the Siwan bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan that hit him on his head and neck.
Earlier, a Class XII student, Aditya Sachdeva, was allegedly shot dead by the son of JDU MLC Manorma Devi, who is currently in judicial custody.
