Jharkhand’s law enforcement has dismantled a sinister conspiracy in the murder of tribal patriarch Soma Munda, Padha Raja of Khunti. The January 7, 2026, roadside execution exposed deep-rooted land rivalries fueling the violence.
Key arrests include primary gunman Marcus Sanga, a 20-year-old with a personal axe to grind. Once enrolled in Munda’s school and ousted in 2022, Marcus accepted a 50,000-rupee bounty to pull the trigger. Behind him stood Daniel Sanga, a Hutar Chowk resident entangled in a 10+ year land skirmish with Munda over 14 decimals—every building bid stonewalled.
Frustrations boiled over when Munda’s activism, alongside gram sabha, derailed a 32-acre sale in Jierappa village late last year, enraging property brokers.
En route from Khunti to his village on a motorcycle beside his wife, Munda met his end at Jamuadag pond. Attackers, after meticulous scouting, riddled him with gunfire at close range.
Post-arrest, a throng gathered as officers escorted the six suspects on foot to Khunti police station, phones aloft capturing the procession. Confiscated: a homemade pistol, bullets, Pulsar motorcycle, car, scout bikes, mobiles, attire, helmets.
Khunti Superintendent of Police Manish Toppo unveiled the case’s intricacies, confirming the ring leaders’ capture. Munda’s stature as Padha Raja positioned him as a guardian of tribal customs and disputes across villages. His demise has unleashed a wave of sorrow and demands for justice against land barons preying on indigenous territories.