60-year-old exorcist shot dead by unidentified assailant in UP's Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Jan 28: An elderly exorcist was allegedly shot dead by an unidentified assailant in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, police said on Tuesday.

Sufi Abdusalam (60), who was into exorcism for several years, died of gunshot wounds after the assailant barged into his house on Monday in Khalapar area of Kotwali police station area and fired at him from close range, they said.

The senior citizen was rushed to the district hospital where he was declared dead, according to police. The body has been sent for post mortem and an investigation is underway, they said.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man's body was retrieved from a forest range in Bibipur village under New Mandi police station area in the district on Monday. Rajiv Kumar, who was missing since January 24, was found dead with strangulation marks and an autopsy is awaited, police informed. A case has been registered against unidentified miscreants who supposedly strangled him to death with an investigation on, they added.