A 37-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Loni was shot dead near his house when three armed bikers fired at him at Chirodi in Loni. The police said the victim suffered eight bullet injuries to his head, chest and upper-body.

The victim, identified as Bhagat Singh Khari, was the former district vice-president of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha, an active party leader from Loni, and was also engaged in the dairy business. His father is a retired sub-inspector of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

“It was around 4.45am, when he was on his way to a dairy, that several bikers arrived and fired at him. The incident took place barely 500 yards from his house. He sustained several gunshot injuries to his neck, head and chest,” Vijay Pal Singh, a relative of the victim, said.

“A complaint has been filed. The incident took place when it was dark and no one could see who the attackers were. After a post-mortem examination was conducted, local residents laid out the body and blocked the main road. They demanded an immediate investigation,” he added.

Traders from Chirori later staged a protest and downed their shutters as a mark of protest.

“He was an active BJP leader and the former district vice-president of the BJP’s youth wing. The killing highlights the police’s laid-back attitude in dealing with criminals. We have given the police some time to investigate the matter and crack the case. If not, we will approach the chief minister and ask him to intervene. We have highlighted the lax attitude of police in Loni in the past,” Nand Kishor Gurjar, the BJP’s MLA from Loni, said.

The victim is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. He was one of four siblings. Sources said that seven years ago, the man had an altercation with another local who allegedly shot and injured him. However, the matter was settled and a compromise reached, sources added.

The police said they suspected a personal rivalry behind the shooting.

“The robbery motive has been ruled out as the victim was ferrying milk cans when he was cornered and fired at. There were three unidentified bikers said to be behind the incident. However, we are probing all possible angles. The police cleared protest on the road by residents,” AK Maurya, superintendent of police (rural), said.

First Published: Dec 04, 2018 09:47 IST