A petrol pump manager was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district on Tuesday while heading to deposit Rs 15 lakh in a bank, police said. The brazen daylight attack in the Ichak area, near the Sulfurani petrol pump, has sparked outrage and raised concerns over rising crime in the region.

The victim, Shankar Ravi Das, was ambushed by two masked gunmen on a motorcycle around 11 am, according to Ichak police station officer-in-charge Rajesh Kumar. “The assailants fired multiple shots, hitting Das in the chest and head, and fled with the cash bag,” Kumar said. Das, 35, was rushed to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College but succumbed to his injuries. The cash, collected over two days, was meant for an Axis Bank branch 3 km away.

Police recovered three empty cartridges and are analyzing CCTV footage from nearby areas to identify the culprits. “We have leads and expect arrests soon,” said Hazaribagh SP Arvind Kumar Singh. Locals suspect the robbers trailed Das from the pump, exploiting his routine. 

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This marks the second such incident in Jharkhand recently, following the December 2024 murder of a Sahebganj petrol pump owner carrying Rs 12 lakh. The Jharkhand Petrol Pump Owners’ Association demanded armed escorts for cash deposits, citing 14 similar attacks since 2020. As investigations intensify, the killing underscores the urgent need for enhanced security for businesses handling large cash transactions.

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