Ex-village head shot dead, brother injured in Agra; poll rivalry suspected

Agra: A 50-year-old former gram pradhan was shot dead and his younger brother injured after armed assailants allegedly opened fire on their car in Agra’s Jaitpur area on Monday night. Police suspect the attack was linked to a long-standing rivalry stemming from village panchayat elections.The deceased, Avneesh Yadav, and his brother, Upendra Yadav, 45, were returning to Jaitpur after attending court proceedings in a case related to an ongoing dispute with the family of the current village head, Indraj Yadav.As per family members, the rivalry had become so intense that they were forced to shift from their native village. Avneesh, a resident of Shahpur Gurjar village, had won the 2016 panchayat election.“When they were heading back to Jaitpur around 8 pm, they noticed suspicious vehicles following them. Despite increasing their speed, the attackers allegedly continued the chase and fired repeatedly at the car. Near Pyarampura, the assailants allegedly surrounded the vehicle and fired several more rounds,” said the deceased’s nephew, Tinku Yadav.Both brothers were rushed to SN Medical College in Agra, where doctors declared Avneesh dead. Upendra, who sustained a bullet injury to his hand, is undergoing treatment.An FIR has been registered at Jaitpur police station under sections 103 (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS, along with provisions of the Arms Act.Bah ACP Hare Krishna Sharma said the complainant had named gram pradhan Indraj Yadav and several others in the case. “Five teams have been formed, key leads have emerged, and some suspects are being questioned,” he said, adding that efforts were underway to arrest the accused.