Ballia, Uttar Pradesh: A shopkeeper was shot dead in a village in Ballia district late Thursday night following an alleged dispute over the purchase of goods, police said on Friday. The incident triggered a swift police operation that led to the arrest of five accused after an encounter in which two of them sustained bullet injuries.
The shooting took place around 10 pm in Raghopur village. The victim, Santosh Singh alias Bagi, a resident of Belsadi village in Ghazipur district, ran a small shop in Raghopur. Police said Singh was on his way home after closing his shop when he was attacked and shot with a country-made pistol. He suffered gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen and died on the spot.
Rasra Circle Officer Alok Gupta said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s son, Aditya Singh, a case was registered against Praveen Singh of Shekhanpur village in Ghazipur district and two unidentified persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Hours after the murder, around 5 am on Friday, a Rasra police team spotted some suspicious individuals and stopped them for checking. According to police, the suspects opened fire at the team, prompting retaliatory firing. All five accused were arrested following the encounter.
The arrested men were identified as Manjeet Singh alias Om Singh of Madhi village, Sandeep Singh alias Golu Singh of Khajurgaon, and Atul Singh alias Babbu Singh, Prabhat Singh alias Bunty, and Praveen Singh alias Golu, all residents of Shekhanpur village. During the exchange of fire, Manjeet Singh and Sandeep Singh sustained bullet injuries to their left legs and were admitted to the district hospital for treatment.
Police said three motorcycles, a country-made pistol, and cartridges were recovered from the possession of the accused. Further investigation into the case is currently underway.
