Deputy General Manager (DGM) of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Kumar Gaurav, was shot by unidentified attackers in Hazaribagh district on Saturday. He was struck in the back and immediately taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The incident occurred around 9:30 AM near Fataha in the Katkamdag police station area of Hazaribagh. Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police (SP) Arvind Kumar Singh stated that police teams are conducting raids to apprehend those responsible.
According to sources, Kumar Gaurav was posted at NTPC’s Keredari office and was heading to work when he was ambushed and shot. He sustained severe injuries and succumbed before receiving medical care.
A resident of Bihar’s Nalanda district, Gaurav Kumar was responsible for coal dispatch, a crucial and sensitive role in the mining sector.
The attack took place between Hazaribagh and Barkagaon, an area where a similar incident occurred nearly two years ago. At that time, the General Manager of Ritwik Company was killed in a targeted attack.
Following this recent killing, fear has spread among NTPC officials. Several NTPC projects are underway in the Barkagaon and Keredari regions, requiring frequent site visits by officers. As a result, employees and officials now feel increasingly unsafe in the region.
Notably, criminal groups frequently demand extortion money from mining companies and their employees in this area. Given Gaurav Kumar’s responsibility for coal dispatch, the murder may be linked to such extortion activities. The police are actively investigating the case and searching for the culprits.
Reacting to the incident BJP State President and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi targeted the state government and said that the criminals' morale is high after Chief Minister Hemant Soren threatened to affect the coal business by giving provocative statements.
He said that even after the murderous attack on a coal businessman in Ranchi on March 7, the police did not become alert. Ultimately, the criminals took the life of a young promising officer.
He said that in Jharkhand, thousands of trucks of coal are being stolen every day from the areas of Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh, Chatra under the protection of the "government system", the money recovered from which is being distributed from top to bottom. If this theft is not stopped, then murders will happen every day like this, innocent people will keep losing their lives.
Marandi said that the DGP of the state should immediately ensure the safety of all project officers, employees and businessmen for the safe operation of the coal business.
