A local petrol pump owner who is said to be a relative of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was shot dead in the district here, police said.
According to police, Arvind Singh, who is also related to local BJP leader Devanand Singh, was shot dead by three unidentified motorbike-borne assailants last evening in the Phoolpur area.
SP (rural) AK Pandey said that Arvind Singh was shot dead while he was returning home yesterday in his car. He was intercepted by the three assailants and shot from point-blank range.
Police said that preliminary inquiries suggest that a property dispute is behind the murder.
An FIR on basis of suspicion has been lodged against one Aditya Narayan, who is a maternal uncle of the deceased, along with other unidentified persons, Pandey said.
Meanwhile, the local BJP unit today said that it had held a meeting under the leadership of MLC Laxman Acharya where an ultimatum of 48 hours was given to Varanasi police to arrest those behind the murder.
