Gang returns with pistol to threaten shopkeepers after fleeing initial police response
Key Points:
- Three men suffer serious injuries in midday Shalimar Market stabbing
- Assailants return armed with pistol minutes after police depart scene
- Sakchi police launch manhunt, scan CCTV footage for suspects
JAMSHEDPUR – A midday extortion attempt turned violent at Sakchi’s Shalimar Market on Monday, leaving three men with serious stab wounds and the neighborhood gripped by fear. The attack unfolded outside Hotel Kalkattia, a busy stretch of the market that draws steady foot traffic through the afternoon.
According to witnesses, three young men riding a single motorcycle stopped at a betel-shop and bought gutkha and cigarettes before turning on the shopkeeper. They demanded ₹500 as a protection fee. The shopkeeper refused, and a crowd of bystanders gathered as the confrontation escalated into a heated argument.
The dispute quickly spiraled out of control. Witnesses said the three men pulled out knives and lunged at people nearby, wounding Minadul Haq, M.D. Taj and M.D. Abdul Masjid. Bystanders rushed the injured men to MGM Hospital, where they remain under treatment.
Sakchi police arrived soon after the assault and began inspecting the scene. However, witnesses allege the accused men slipped back into the market only a short time after officers withdrew. This time, the gang carried a pistol. They threatened shopkeepers with violence before disappearing again, leaving the area shaken.
The brazen return has fueled outrage among Jamshedpur traders. Merchants argue that a daylight assault followed by the attackers’ reappearance points to a breakdown in routine security. Shopkeepers have pressed the administration for the swift arrest of the accused, more frequent police patrols through the market, and tighter overall security measures in the area.
Sakchi police are now combing through CCTV footage from cameras around the market in an effort to trace the fugitives. Investigators are also conducting raids at suspected hideouts as part of the search. Officers said the inquiry so far points to an extortion demand as the underlying motive for the assault.
The case adds to a string of recent crime incidents reported from Jamshedpur’s commercial districts, where shopkeepers have repeatedly flagged concerns over extortion rackets targeting small traders. Officials have not yet disclosed whether the three accused are linked to any larger network operating in the area.
