A tale of vengeance and avarice unfolds in Khunti, Jharkhand, where Padha Raja Soma Munda fell victim to a meticulously planned hit on January 7, 2026. Police triumphantly announced the nab of six conspirators, unmasking a web spun by land hustlers.
Central to the arrests is 20-year-old shooter Marcus Sanga, whose link to Munda was shockingly intimate—a dismissed student from 2022, harboring bitterness that land dealer Daniel Sanga weaponized with 50,000 rupees and a gun.
The feud? A decade-old clash over 14 decimals in Hutar Chowk, where Munda repeatedly halted Daniel’s developments. The catalyst: Munda’s role in scuttling a 32-acre deal in Jierappa during 2025’s end, irking realty interests.
Motorcycling home with his spouse from Khunti, Munda was waylaid at Jamuadag pond by surveillance-savvy assailants who emptied their weapons into him.
The accused’s street march to Khunti thana became a public affair, mobs snapping photos and videos. Police haul includes a country pistol, four rounds, Pulsar bike, sedan, recon vehicles, gadgets, and accessories. SP Manish Toppo credited sharp investigation for the sweep.
Esteemed as the Mundas tribe’s Padha Raja, Munda wielded authority in village traditions and conflicts. His murder has stirred profound anger and bereavement, underscoring threats to tribal land rights from opportunistic developers.