A suspected sharpshooter was today arrested for allegedly carrying out an attack on the headman of a village here, police said.
According to police, the accused, identified as one Sohanvir from the Bhojpur police station area, told them that he was given the contract for killing Omvir, the newly-elected head of Teela Shabazpur here, by the former headman of the village, one Rajesh Mavi.
The pistol and a motorbike used in the crime have been seized from the accused, police said, adding that a search is on for Sohanvir's associate who had taken part in the attack.
"The accused confessed that the contract for killing Omvir was given to them by ex-headman Mavi. They were initially given Rs 2 lakh by Mavi with the promise of further payment once the job was done," SSP Dharmendra Singh said.
Omvir was going on foot to condole the death of a neighbour in the Loni Road area when two youths on a motorcycle engaged him in a heated exchange before firing two bullets at him on Dec. 23.
While one bullet pierced Omvir's chest on the right side, the second one grazed his forehead. The village head was immediately rushed to a local hospital from where he was referred to Max Hospital in Kaushambi.
Earlier, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Loni circle) Anil Yadav had said it was being claimed that Mavi had deliberately landed himself in Dasna jail before the attack on Omvir in order to create an alibi.
