Slain scribe was to celebrate 17th marriage anniversary on Saturday

Until late Friday evening, Rajdeo Ranjan, senior journalist for Hindi daily Hindustan in Bihar's Siwan district, was happy because he was planning to celebrate his 17th marriage anniversary the next day.

But on Saturday but he was being cremated, leaving behind his shocked and inconsolable wife and a few close friends to mourn him. Ranjan was married on May 14 in 1998. He is survived by two children and his wife. 

Ranjan was shot dead by criminals near the Siwan railway station on Friday.

“He was in looking forward for his 17th marriage anniversary on May 14. Little did he know he would be cremated instead. It is a cruel joke of fate,” a journalist friend of Ranjan said. Ranjan's wife was expecting a gala party at her residence, but she got her husband’s death as ‘gift’,” a family member said.

His media friends recalled that Ranjan was attacked in 2005, but had survived then.

Convenor of Working Journalist Union in Siwan, Arvind Kumar Pandey said that all the print and electronic media persons will be protesting Ranjan’s killing on Saturday by wearing black badges.

“We have submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate, demanding immediate arrest of criminals behind the murder and stern action as soon as possible,” said Pandey said.

He said that media persons in Siwan and different parts of the state, including Patna, will take out candle march on Saturday evening and on Sunday.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad have condemned his killing and assured tough action in this case.

Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have termed Ranjan’s murder as 'return of jungle raj ' in Bihar. "People are now again living in fear, there is total collapse of law and order. Nobody is safe,” leader of opposition Prem Kumar said.

Though nearly 18 hours have passed since he was killed, the police have yet to make a breakthrough. Two people have been detained for interrogation.