UP: SP corporator shot dead in Varanasi

Varanasi, May 22: A municipal corporator belonging to thesamajwadi party was shot dead by unidentified gunman early this morning in the Bhelupur area here.

Rakesh Gupta alias Babloo Lamboo, a SP corporator from Ward No 25 of Varanasi Nagara Nigam, was shot dead by three criminals outside his house in Khojwan area under Bhelupur police station, police said.

As Gupta stepped outside his house, the three opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot, police added.

The criminals then escaped on two motorcycles, taking two cellular phones of the slain corporator with them.

Gupta who was elected corporator last year, was an accused in the September, 2005 killing of Mangal Prajapati, also a SP corporator who represented the same municipal ward before him.

Police suspect the killing to be linked to Prajapati's murder.

The body of the deceased was sent for a post-mortem and a hunt is launched to nab the killers.

UNI