SP leader shot dead in Pratapgarh

ALLAHABAD: A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was shot dead by two unidentified bike-borne miscreants in Pure Anti area of Pratapgarh on Tuesday morning. The murder led to a violent backlash by enraged villagers. An inspector and an S-I were injured in stone pelting by the mob. IGP Mohit Agarwal rushed to Pratapgarh and pacified the enraged villagers. Heavy force was deployed in the area and a massive hunt was launched for the shooters. As per reports, resident of Lohangpur village of Antu, Harishchandra Singh Chauhan was sector in-charge of the SP and was close to Sadar MLA Nagendra Yadav. Chauhan used to run a furniture shop near the village. On Tuesday, Chauhan and his aide Daya Saroj

had gone to load wood. Near primary school in Pure Anti village, Chauhan sent Saroj to one Ramabali’s home for payment of cash. Meanwhile, two miscreants shot at Chauhan and fled towards Gadwara. Locals rushed Chauhan to the district hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Plantation drive today at river front

LUCKNOW: Governor Ram Naik and chief minister Yogi Adityanath will participate in a plantation drive organised by the forest department at the river front on Wednesday. Around 15,000 saplings will be planted on 25 acre area here while over 9 crore saplings will be planted all over UP. The plantation target this year has been increased from 9.16 cr to 11.26 cr.