BSP leader Jugram, driver shot dead in Ambedkar Nagar

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Jugram Mehndi and his driver Subhnit Yadav were shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants on Monday morning in Ambedkar Nagar district, 200 km east of Lucknow.

Police said the attack could be a fallout of an old rivalry.

Mehndi left his house in Nasirabad village in his Toyota Fortuner at 9.30 am for the district headquarter and had reached Hirapur Bazar when three unidentified persons moving on a motorcycle fired indiscriminately on his vehicle.

While Mehndi and his driver were hit, the security personnel and a few of his supporters seated on the rear managed to flee unhurt. Two passerby Ram Niwas and Sanjay were also injured in the firing.

The injured driver tried to drive the vehicle but hit a wall. Later the police reached the spot and rushed Mehndi and Yadav to district hospital but the doctors declared them brought dead.

A large posse of police force was deployed in the hospital as BSP workers and supporters raised slogan against the administration and demanded action

MEHNDI AND HIS DRIVER WERE HIT WHILE THE SECURITY PERSONNEL AND A FEW OF HIS SUPPORTERS SEATED ON THE REAR MANAGED TO FLEE UNHURT

against the killers.

Superintendent of Police Vipin Kumar Mishra said police teams had been constituted to nab the assailants.

Mehndi had a criminal history and was involved 21 criminal cases, including loot, murder, rioting and dacoity, he said.

A police officer said Mehndi and another gangster Khan Mubarak were rivals and the police were investigating if the attack was a fallout of this old rivalry.

Two years back Mehndi was grievously injured in firing by the members of the Mubarak gang. Later police arrested the gangster and sent him to jail.

A BSP leader said Mehndi had demanded security but the district police did not pay any heed to his request. The party will demand a high level inquiry into the double murder and compensation to the family members of the deceased, he said.