In a brazen attack that has sent shockwaves through Jharkhand's Khunti district, Soma Munda, the revered traditional head known as 'Adel Sanga Padha Raja' of 22 tribal villages and a former assembly election contestant from Khunti seat in 2024, was shot dead by unidentified bike-borne assailants on January 7, 2026 evening.

The incident occurred around 7 pm on the Namkum-Jamuadag Road under Khunti police station limits, as Munda was returning home on a motorcycle with his wife; two miscreants on a bike suddenly overtook them and fired multiple shots at close range, leaving the victim critically injured.

Locals rushed the bleeding Munda to a nearby hospital, where attending doctors declared him brought dead upon arrival, prompting immediate deployment of police teams to the spot for forensic examination and collection of evidence while senior officers including Khunti SDPO Varun Rajak took direct command of the situation.

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Authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation, vowing to explore all possible angles including personal enmity, political rivalry, land disputes, or extremist involvement common in the region, with raids and technical surveillance underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators swiftly.

The killing triggered widespread condemnation and protests, with Congress MP from Khunti Kalicharan Munda demanding immediate arrests and highlighting deteriorating law and order, former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Champai Soren terming it reflective of the state's crumbling security apparatus, and various tribal organizations enforcing road blockades across multiple locations on January 8 morning in a show of collective grief and anger.

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