After a series of killings of political leaders, including two of the ruling party, on Wednesday, unidentified assailants slit the throat of a 55-year-old journalist near Dubouli village in Kushninagar on Thursday morning.
The police are still groping in the dark for clues.
According to reports, Radheyshyam Sharma, who worked with a local Hindi newspaper and also taught in a private school in the district, left his house at Siktiya Tola in Hata area of Kushinagar on Thursday morning. He was going on a motorcycle when unknown assailants intercepted him outside his village near Dubouli. Before Sharma could sense danger, the assailants took out a long knife and slit his throat and escaped.
Some villagers, who saw the incident, rushed the victim to a nearby hospital but the doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival.
Police claimed to have registered a case in this regard and are probing the matter and trying to ascertain the motive.
Meanwhile in Azamgarh, a dreaded criminal, wanted in more than 44 cases of murder, kidnapping and dacoity, was shot dead in an encounter with police in Maharajganj police station area.
Lakshman Yadav, on whom UP Police had announced a reward of Rs 1.5 lakh, was killed in the encounter while police constable Surendra Yadav was injured, late Wednesday night. Superintendent of Police Trevi Singh said that Lakshman was involved in the murder of one Ravi Prakash Singh, brother of former DIG JP Singh.
Ambedkarnagar police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest while Azamgarh police and announced a reward of Rs 50,000.
The district police chief said the encounter took place during a vehicle checking drive when the criminal, along with his accomplice opened fire on the police personnel. In the retaliatory firing, Lakshman was killed while his accomplice managed to escape.