Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district chief Sanjay Khokhar was shot dead at his farm in Baghpat on Tuesday, 11 August. The BJP leader was shot dead while he was out for a morning walk in the fields near his home.
The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a probe into the murder and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sought a report on the incident within 24 hours.
NDTV reported that Khokhar's body was found lying next to a sugarcane field with his shirt soaked in blood. Prima facia, he was shot multiple times while walking in the fields that he owns.
Ajay Kumar, Baghpat's police chief told media that they suspect personal enmity behind the attack. Even though there are no eyewitnesses to the murder, they will conduct a swift investigation and arrest the culprit(s) soon, he said, adding that multiple teams have been deployed as part of the probe.
India Today reported that this was not the first attack against the leader. Earlier in June, a BJP leader's son was killed in gunfire in Baghpat.
Meanwhile, speaking to News18, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said: “The murder of BJP leader Sanjay Khokar in Baghpat today once again confirms that there is no law and order in the state. People are fed up with the three years of 'Jungle Raj' by the Yogi Adityanath government in the state. When leaders from the ruling side are killed, then one can imagine the safety of common people."
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