Lucknow: In yet another panchayat poll-related blood-bath in Uttar Pradesh, a former Gram Pradhan and a BJP leader was shot dead in the Gulharia Bazar area of Gorakhpur district, the hometown of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Brijesh Singh (51), a former Gram Pradhan of Narayanpur village, was returning home after campaigning when he was shot dead late Friday night by unidentified assailants. Brijesh was BJP’s Sector Incharge.
Eyewitnesses claimed that motorbike-borne assailants came from behind and intercepted Brijesh. Before the BJP leader could understand anything, they pumped several shots on his head and body and fled after leaving him in a pool of blood.
Villagers rushed to the spot after hearing gunshots. They took Brijesh to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
The former Gram Pradhan was contesting the elections again and was to file his nomination on Saturday. Family members alleged that his rivals, who did not want him to contest against, were behind his murder.
Angry family members and supporters of the BJP leader created unruly scenes at the hospital. They were demanding immediate arrest of the assailants. They went back home after senior police officers assured arrest of assailants.
The police have recovered empty cartridges of .315 bore at the crime scene. The SSP Gorakhpur Dinesh Kumar said that primarily political rivalry or property seems to be the motive behind the murder. “But we are looking into all possible angles. Police teams have been formed to arrest the assailants,” said the SSP.
Earlier, a BSP leader was shot dead in Gorakhpur a few days ago when he too was returning home. He was threatened by his rivals to stay away from the poll process and not to file nominations.
In the past ten days over a dozen people have been murdered in Gorakhpur, the hometown of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, giving a jolt to the state law and machinery in controlling ever-rising crime in Uttar Pradesh.
