In yet another daylight killing during lockdown, a Dalit leader of Samajwadi Party and his son were gunned down by rivals over the laying of a road in Sambhal on Tuesday.
Senior officers rushed to the spot with a heavy police force and started investigations.
As per reports, Chhote Lal Diwakar (45) of Fatehpur Shamshoi village in Behjoi area of Sambhal was a known Dalit face of Samajwadi Party in the region while his wife Kamlesh is the present gram pradhan.
On Tuesday, Diwakar went to oversee a road being constructed on the fringes of the village under MNREGA scheme. There he had an argument with a neighbouring family over the road.
The war of words spiralled out of control and the other party opened indiscriminate fire at Diwakar and his son Sunil Diwakar (22) as a result of which both died on the spot.
Sunil was married about six months back.
Surprisingly, the locals shot a video of the killing instead of saving the victims.
On being informed, the police reached there even as tension brewed in the village over the cold-blooded murders.
Later, senior officers rushed to the scene to start the investigation and a large police force was deployed in the village to avert any backlash.
Chhote Lal Diwakar was a known Dalit face of Samajwadi Party in the region and was fielded as a candidate from Chandausi in the last assembly election but the seat was given to Congress owing to an alliance.
Meanwhile in Deoria, a ration shop owner and his kin battered an old man and critically injured his kin after they complained of not getting food grains.
As per reports, Pramod Yadav (28) of Dakshinpatti area of Khempar went to a nearby fair price shop to get food grains on Tuesday morning and found the shop closed. Later, he knocked at shop owner Sriniwas Barnwal’s home to enquire and was bluntly told that there was no grain to be distributed.
When Pramod complained that he did not get the supplies even last month, Barnwal and his family members attacked the youth with sticks and rods.
Hearing Pramod’s screams, his father Paras Yadav (60), brother Dinesh Yadav (25) and minor son Aman rushed to his help and they too were not spared. The attack left Paras Yadav dead on the spot while the other  three were critically injured and shifted to primary health centre in Bhatparani.
Later the police reached the site and registered a case against the accused. Barnwal and three of his kin were detained.