Chitrakoot Congress leader, nephew killed by neighbour

A local Congress leader and his nephew were shot dead allegedly by their neighbour following a tiff in the Pahadi police station area of Chitrakoot on Tuesday night.

Both former Congress district vice-president Ashok Patel, 55, and his nephew Shubham, 25, died on the spot. Accused Kamlesh Kumar is absconding.

Later, supporters of the deceased attacked Kumar’s house and set it on fire. However, family members of the accused were rescued by police. Following the incident, Pahadi police station SHO Shravan Kumar Singh has been suspended on charges of laxity.

District SP Ankit Mittal said an FIR has been registered against the accused along with his son, Rahul, whose involvement is yet to be investigated.

He added that the house of the accused was just 50 metres away from that of the victims. As it was a kuchha house, the roof easily caught fire.

There was no law and order problem in the village and police personnel had been deployed, Mittal added.