Bike-borne assailants kill petrol pump manager, rob Rs 11 lakh

Motorcycle-borne robbers on Monday shot dead a petrol pump manager and fled with Rs 11 lakh he carrying to deposit at a bank here, police said.

The murder and robbery in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's one-time constituency triggered criticism over the law and order situation in the state.

"Crime is taking on frightening proportions in UP, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav tweeted as police tried to trace the unidentified assailants.

The murder took place near the Baghabeer Baba temple located in the city's Belipar police station limits.

Mehrauli petrol pump manager Anand Swaroop Mishra and another employee were going to the State Bank of India branch in Mahavir Chapra area on Monday morning to deposit the past two days' sales collection.

Two men on another motorcycle came up from behind and opened fire at the manager. They then sped away with his bag containing Rs 11.22 lakh, a police officer said.

The manager was hit in the chest and a leg and died later at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur (South) ASP Vipul Kumar Srivastav said.

Sunil Singh, the other employee, escaped with minor injuries as their motorcycle fell.

Srivastav said police are examining footage from CCTV cameras on the route.

SP leader Akhilesh Yadav attacked the UP government over the murder-robbery.

"Crime is taking on frightening proportions in UP. The incident of killing a petrol pump manager and looting over Rs 11 lakh in an important city' like Gorakhpur is shocking, Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

He wanted to know whose blessings were responsible for the confidence that the criminals displayed.

Gorakhpur was Yogi Adityanath's parliamentary constituency before he became the chief minister. He remains the head of the Gorakshpeeth here and visits the city regularly.