RSS leader shot dead in UP town

After recent killings of RSS functionaries in Kerala and Punjab, another RSS leader was gunned down in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur. Local journalist for a national Hindi daily 35-year-old Rajesh Mishra, who was also the head of the Karanda block in the district, succumbed to bullet wounds on Saturday morning after four motorcycle-borne miscreants opened fire.

Mishra's younger brother Amitesh too sustained bullet injuries and was rushed to Varanasi for treatment. He was said to be critical at the time of this report going to press. The crime took place at the Brahmanpura Chatti.

Police say an FIR has been registered against the yet to be identified assailants. "We are waiting for the statement of his brother and family members. Business rivalry seems to be the motive behind the killings. However, we are investigating the case from other angles also," district police chief Somen Varma said. IG Deepak Ratan reached the spot and formed five police teams to nab the assailants.

According to reports, Rajesh and Amitesh reached their construction material shop, after their morning walk, at around 7.30 am when four miscreants opened indiscriminate fire on the duo. Police said Rajesh died on the spot.

While sources say that Rajesh was up against the local sand mining mafia and was behind the ban imposed on the business of extracting sand from the banks of the Ganges, another brother of the slain RSS volunteer said Rajesh was gunned down for both his fearless journalism and for his political activism under the aegis of RSS.

"He went after the bad elements with his pen and was responsible for energising RSS in Karanda Block."

"He was killed perhaps for both the reasons. He had just concluded the Officers Training Camp in Karanda. It is the first time ever that such a camp has been held in the block," said Brajesh Kumar Mishra, Rajesh's brother, said.

DNA sources say that a dreaded criminal – Rajesh Dubey – is being considered as the chief suspect. While the police do not confirm this, Dubey escaped from the Ghazipur jail in August this year.

Rajesh was also close to Union minister Manoj Sinha, who is the MP from Ghazipur. Incidentally, the Union minister was in the district to participate in a local function. Sinha has directed the police to arrest the assailants within 48 hours.