Prayagraj, Jun 24 (IANS): A district court lawyer was shot dead near the Gohri railway crossing in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj district.

The lawyer, Sushil Kumar Patel, was taken to the Swarup Rani Nehru hospital where the doctors declared him dead.

On Sunday night, Patel was on his way to Phaphamau from his village on his bike when the assailants came on motorbikes, overtook him near a railway crossing and sprayed him with bullets.

Witnesses said that the lawyer was chased for some distance before he was shot in the chest at a close range. The assailants escaped on their motorbikes.

Senior Superintendent of Police Atul Sharma said all police stations of the district have been alerted and a hunt has been launched for the assailants.

Primary investigation revealed that the lawyer was involved in a property dispute. Patel was also involved in property dealing, the police said, adding that this could be the motive behind the killing.

The incident came less than two weeks after the chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Bar Council, Darvesh Yadav, was shot dead by another lawyer on the premises of the Agra district court.

The attacker, who shot himself after committing the crime, died in a Gurugram hospital on Saturday.