Patna, May 21 (NIE): Bihar state general secretary of BSP and former mukhiya of a Buxar panchayat was shot dead and his son was injured late on Saturday evening. This is the second killing of a politician after killing of RJD leader Dina Gope last week in Patna.

Buxar Police said when the BSP leader Khunti Yadav (45), who also runs a medicine shop, had been returning home with son Yashwant Yadav (17) in an SUV after closing the shop at Karimpur area of the town, he had to stop the car at the closed railway crossing. Some unidentified assailants came near his vehicle and started indiscriminate firing. A bullet hit his head and Yadav was declared dead after being taken to a hospital. His son, also seriously injured in the attack, has been referred to a Varanasi hospital.

The attack was followed by an immediate protest by public and local BSP leaders. Buxar Town police station in-charge Avinash Kumar said personal rivalry over land dispute looked as the reason behind the killing. Khunti Yadav, ex-mukhiya of Nadaon panchayat, had been an active BSP worker. BSP has sizeable influence in Buxar, which adjoins UP. Yadav, who had been Nadaon mukhiya between 2011 and 2016, had been associated with BSP since 2015.

Buxar SP Rakesh Kumar said: “FIR has lodged against six people. We are looking at various motives included a protracted land dispute over the purchase of six bigha land. No arrest has been made so far.” The accused are Chitranjan Singh (Jagdishpur panchayat sarpanch) and his family members – Ajay Singh, Jagmohan Singh, Saroj Singh, Ramishwar Singh and Kanchan Singh. Khunti had been also named in two land dispute cases.