2 held for ex-village head’s murder in Agra

Agra: Two men were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the murder of a former gram pradhan and the shooting of his younger brother in Agra. Police said the attack was the result of a long-standing rivalry linked to village panchayat elections.

According to police, Avneesh Yadav (50) was killed, while his brother, Upendra Yadav (45), sustained a gunshot injury to his hand when the two were returning to Jaitpur after attending court proceedings.

Based on Upendra’s complaint, an FIR was registered at Jaitpur police station under BNS sections 191(2) (rioting), 109(1) (attempt to murder), 103(1) (murder) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act. Five police teams were constituted to trace the accused.

In the early hours of Wednesday, police arrested Krishna Yadav and Shiv Pratap Yadav alias Genda, both residents of Shahpur village under the Chitrahat police station limits. However, shortly after the arrest, Shiv Pratap allegedly snatched a policeman’s service revolver and opened fire while attempting to flee. He was injured in retaliatory firing and admitted to hospital for treatment, police said.

A separate FIR was registered on Wednesday against the two accused under BNS section 109(1) (attempt to murder) and relevant provisions of the Arms Act for allegedly opening fire on police personnel.

Bah ACP Hare Krishna Sharma said, “A .315-bore country-made pistol, suspected to have been used in the murder, was recovered. Further investigation is underway and efforts are being made to arrest the remaining accused named in the case.”