Ghaziabad: A senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader was allegedly shot dead by assailants who came in an SUV car and scooter and opened indiscriminate firing on him in Masuri area of Ghaziabad on Saturday night.
Following the incident, Senior police officials have suspended the Station house officer of Masuri police station and a Chowki in-charge for laxity in duty and arrested two criminals after a brief exchange of fire on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
According to police, the incident occurred on Saturday night when BJP's zonal head Dr Balbir Singh Tomar (50), who ran a nursing home in Dasna area, was shot dead by four assailants when he was returning home.
Cops said that the arrested accused were identified as Shahrukh (22) and Tehseem, both natives of Dasna area and carried a reward of Rs 25, 000 each on their head. Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Ghaziabad said that an intensive checking operation was carried out to trace the criminals and police arrested two persons in connection with the case a few hours after the incident. "The criminals, who were travelling on a scooter, were intercepted by police during routine checking but instead they opened fire on police party and tried to flee. Police team chased them for nearly two kilometers before being successfully nabbing them. The accused confessed to have committed the crime along with their two other accomplices, identified as Salman and Aman, who are absconding," said Jadaun.
The officer further said that the accused persons plotted conspiracy to murder Tomar in order to take revenge.
"During interrogations, the accused told police that Aman's sister went missing with a boy on July 4 and Tomar supported the girl. The family was not happy with this and they planned to kill him," added Jadaun.
Police have recovered the scooter used in crime while they are searching various hide outs to nab other two accused as well, said police officials.