Varanasi (UP): Two unidentified assailants shot dead a priest and his wife at their house here in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

The incident took place at Kali-Mahal locality in the holy city, they said.

KK Upadhyaya, the priest of Pisach Mochan Kund, was standing outside his house at around 6 am, while his wife was busy in the kitchen, when the motorcycle-borne attackers arrived there and killed them, the police said.

The two assailants fled the spot after killing the couple, they said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident was apparently a fallout of a property dispute involving Upadhyaya's brothers, the police said.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and efforts are on to nab the accused, they said.