Unidentified persons shot dead a 50-year-old district court lawyer near Gohri railway crossing in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district on Sunday night, police said.

The victim, Sushil Kumar Patel, was rushed to SRN Hospital but did not survive, the police said.

The incident came less than two weeks after the chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Bar Council, Darvesh Yadav, was shot dead by another lawyer on the premises of the Agra district court. The attacker, who shot himself after committing the crime, died in a Gurugram hospital on Saturday.

On Sunday, Patel was on his way to Phaphamau from his village on his bike when the assailants riding motocycles overtook him near a railway crossing and shot him.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the lawyer was chased for some distance before being shot in the chest at a close range. The assailants escaped riding their vehicles.

Local residents, after hearing the sound of gunshot, informed the police.

Patel was a resident of Tiwaripur Lehra village of Soraon. He was residing in Shantipuram locality. Patel was also involved in property dealing, the police said.

The district police have set up a cordon at strategic points to nab the assailants. SSP Atul Sharma said all police stations of the district have been alerted and a hunt has been launched.

Primary investigation revealed that the lawyer was involved in a property dispute .

The SSP said further action will be taken after receiving a formal complaint from the family of the deceased.

First Published: Jun 23, 2019 22:59 IST