Ex-sarpanch shot by bike-borne assailants at Fatehabad village in Haryana

A former sarpanch was shot dead by two unidentified bike-borne assailants at a roadside dhaba in Fatehabad’s Khara Kheri village on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as 50-year-old Rajender Khileri, said to be a close acquaintance of former Fatehabad MLA and BJP leader Dura Ram. He was also known to have close ties with the family of former Haryana chief minister Chaudhary Bhajan Lal.

According to the police, Khileri was at a roadside dhaba when the attackers arrived on a bike and fired three shots at him from close range before fleeing. He died on the spot.

A Sadar police station team reached the spot and launched an investigation. The assailants are yet to be identified.

The victim is survived by his wife, a son pursuing a BA degree and a daughter. Active in the political circles, he held considerable sway in village affairs as well as in the Fatehabad Assembly constituency.

The police suspect the murder could be linked to an old rivalry. Further investigation is underway. — TNS