Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha president Ranjit Bachchan was shot dead on Sunday morning by unknown gunmen in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.
The incident took place at the Globe Park in the Hazratganj area of the capital, police said. Bachahan was shot in the head multiple times by bike-borne assailants while he was on a morning walk in the park near the CDRI building. The attackers fleed from the spot after firing.
The VHM chief is said to have died on the spot. His brother also suffered injuries in the incident and is being treated at the hospital.
Bachchan was a resident of Gorakhpur.
The early morning shootout has caused tension in the area. Six teams of Uttar Pradesh Police and the Crime Branch have launched an investigation into the matter.
Notably, this is the second incident when the leader of an ultra-right fringe Hindu outfit has been killed. In October last year, leader of the Hindu Samaj Party and former member of the Hindu Mahasabha, Kamlesh Tiwari, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Naka area of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
According to reports, the attackers entered his office on the pretext of handing over a gift. They opened fire on him and fled from the scene.
Tiwari was in the news for giving a controversial remark on Prophet Mohammad.
