india

Updated: Feb 02, 2020 12:36 IST

A leader of a lesser-known outfit, Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha, was shot dead by an unknown attacker in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on Sunday morning, a day after his birthday, officials said.

Ranjeet Bachchan, a resident of Gorakhpur district, was on a morning walk along with his cousin Aditya when a man fired at them on the pavement of the Globe Park near Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) building in Hazratganj.

The lone attacker fired at Ranjeet’s face killing him on the spot and walked away. Bachchan’s cousin was injured in the shooting at around 6:30am.

Aditya is undergoing treatment at the trauma centre of King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where doctors stated that his condition is out of danger.

“The assailant was on foot and approached Ranjeet asking him for his cell phone to make a call. The assailant fired on Ranjeet’s face, killing him on the spot,” assistant commissioner of police (Hazratganj circle), Abhay Mishra, said.

Commissioner of police Sujeet Pandey said four policemen, including in-charge of the KD Singh Babu Stadium police outpost Sandeep Tewari, have been suspended after the killing.

“Forensic experts are scanning the spot. We have been scanning CCTVs and probing the case from all angles. The culprits will be behind the bars soon,” Dinesh Singh, deputy commissioner of police (central Lucknow), said.

Singh also said six teams have been constituted to probe the case and nab the culprits.

Bachchan’s family has rushed to Lucknow after hearing the news. He lived with his wife in the state capital’s Hussainganj area.

His brother-in-law, Manoj Kumar Sharma, said Bachchan had celebrated his 40th birthday on Saturday and had also organised an event in support of CAA and NRC.

Outraged supporters of Bachhan shouted slogans against the police outside his house.

This is the second killing of a right-wing Hindu leader in the state capital in the last year.

Kamlesh Tewari, the national president of the Hindu Samaj Party, was killed at his Khurshed Bagh residence on October 18 last year.

(Copy has been corrected to say Bachchan was the president of Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha and not Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha)