SP leader shot dead in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, May 22 (IANS) A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was gunned down by unidentified bike-riding assailants in Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Monday.

A passerby suffered a gunshot injury in the Sunday night incident. It took place near Balak Baba Mathia on the Lalganj-Gopalpur road, the police said.

Sumer Singh was on his way to a pre-wedding function along with his friend Chunnu Misra when the assailants shot him in the head. The injured passerby was identified as Bhutaili Yadav. 

Singh was a former district secretary of the SP and his wife Sunita Singh is a gram pradhaan (village head).

The police reportedly reached the crime scene after several hours which caused an angry mob to raise anti-police and anti-government slogans.