Newly elected district panchayat member shot dead

The locals placed the body on Gorakhpur Road and staged a blockade for over five hours demanding arrest of the assailants and a compensation for the kin of the deceased.

The agitation ended after the Speaker of the state Assembly Sukhdeo Rajbhar and local BSP MP Dr Baliram reached the place and pacified the locals. The police arrested Ravi’s rival candidate Surendra Yadav this evening for alleged murder.

Azamgarh ASP (Rural) Sarvesh Kumar Rana,officiating as SP,said Ravi,a native of Madhuban Lohanpur village,was shot by two motorcycle-borne youths when he was walking towards the fields in his village around 7 am.

The assailants fired three gunshots hitting Ravi’s chest and abdomen causing his death on the spot. The police have recovered three empty shells of .9mm which indicates the crime was executed by hired shooters,he said.

Rana also said that Ravi belonged to a poor family and had won the panchayat member election by 1,516 votes. The victim’s brother Ram Dular in his complaint alleged that Surendra Yadav who lost the election against Ravi had threatened his brother to withdraw the nomination.

The complainant also alleged that Surendra and four of his family members killed Ravi to settle the scores,the ASP added.

Meanwhile,Azamgarh BSP district president Harishchand Gautam told The Indian Express that Ravi was member of the party and he played an active role during Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in different districts.