PANCHKULA: Three assailants armed with swords and a country-made pistol broke into the house of a 26-year-old local BJP leader and bludgeoned him to death after firing at him in Saketri in the wee hours of Monday.

Ashutosh Bhardwaj, the victim, had returned home after attending a wedding ceremony and was sleeping with his younger brother Rahul on the first floor when Sanjay Kumar , Tinku and Ajay Kumar scaled the boundary wall. One of them fired a shot at Ashutosh, leaving him with a stomach wound. The rest then pounced on him with swords. When Rahul tried to save him, he too was attacked. He suffered neck, head and arm injuries. The father of Ashutosh, Kishan Bharadwaj, who was sleeping on the ground floor, ran upstairs after hearing the screams of his sons. While Sanjay and Tinku managed to escape, Ajay was caught and locked inside the washroom.

The police later arrested both Sanjay, brother of Saroj, and Tinku.

"I saw the two accused escape after climbing the side wall of our house. I tried my best to nab them but they fled on their bikes," said Kishan. He alleged the murder was plotted by Saroj Hooda, a political rival of Ashutosh and their neighbour. "I saw Saroj standing on the street and shouting at her boys to murder the whole family. She is the main mastermind behind the murder," alleged Kishan.

Rahul said, "The Hooda family had earlier too fought with my brother. The son of Saroj, Arun, had also attacked me once."

Police sources said Ajay was wanted by the Rohtak police in various criminal cases and was living in Haridwar. He was immediately taken into custody.

ACP Jagtar Singh said old enmity was the reason behind the murder.

The police have booked the three under Sections 148, 149, 323, 452 and 302 of the IPC and under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. The police have also rounded up fiver persons, Arun Hooda, Manu Hooda, Tarun Hooda and Zorawar Hooda , all relatives of Saroj, and R D Swami, a priest at a temple in Saketri.

Ashutosh had succumbed to his injuries at PGI, while Rahul was discharged after receiving first aid treatment.