Raipur, Dec 26 (IANS) The shutdown in Raipur called by the Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce in protest against the broad daylight killing of a trader in the city passed off peacefully Saturday.
Unidentified gunmen Friday shot and killed Amar Ahuja, a private financier, and critically wounded his relative Manish in the heart of the Chhattisgarh capital.

Manish, who had been admitted to a private hospital with serious bullet injuries in his head, is still battling for his life.

The chamber, backed by the main opposition party Congress, called for the shutdown as police failed to nab the assailants within the deadline of 24 hours given by the traders.

“The bandh evoked total response as traders voluntarily kept the shutters down,” chamber president Sreechand Sunderani said. The chamber office bearers will meet again Sunday evening to chalk out strategy to expand their agitation if the culprits still remained at large, he added.

Sunderani claimed the morale of criminals was high and they had no fear of law enforcement authorities.

Senior police officials said that the agitation passed off peacefully with no untoward incident reported from any part of the city. As of now, the investigating police parties have failed to get any clue about the assailants, they added.