Contract civic worker chased, killed in Beed city; assailant absconding

Beed, Jan 6 (PTI) A contract worker of the Beed Municipal Council (BMC) was chased and hacked to death by a man apparently over a past rivalry here in central Maharashtra on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The victim, identified as Harshad alias Dada Shinde (38), a resident of Housing Colony in Dhanora Road, was engaged in drainage construction work in Beed city's Ankushnagar locality. At around 2.30 pm, the assailant, identified by police as Vishal Suryavanshi, arrived at the site and opened fire.

According to eyewitnesses, Suryavanshi fired two rounds from a handgun, but Shinde narrowly escaped the bullets.

The sudden gunfire triggered panic among local residents and fellow labourers. Seizing the moment of chaos, Shinde tried to flee the spot. However, the accused chased him for a short distance and attacked him repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon.

Shinde sustained multiple grievous injuries and collapsed on the spot. Though locals rushed to his aid, he succumbed to his injuries before medical help could arrive, according to police.

"We have formed special teams to track down the accused, who is currently at large. Primary investigations suggest a personal feud or a past rivalry could be the motive behind this heinous crime," a senior police official stated.

A city-wide blockade (nakabandi) was enforced as the manhunt for Suryavanshi continued.

Superintendent of Police Navneet Kanwat expressed confidence the attacker will be nabbed soon. PTI COR RSY