A man was shot dead when he opposed a bid to loot him and his two friends at Thana Jaani district here, police said today.
Suraj Valmiki (27), a resident of Kusedi village, was shot from close range last night when he stopped youths from looting, they said.
Suraj was sitting on the back seat of a bike along with his friends Deepak and Rajan. Rajan was driving the motorbike when armed assailants stopped the bike and tried to loot the three friends. Sensing the situation, Rajan accelerated the speed of the bike and tried to run, following which the assailants shot at Suraj and he died on the spot, they said.
Upset over the incident, the villagers kept Suraj's body for hours at Nivadi-Kusedi road. Police and administration officials reached the spot and told the people that guilty will be arrested soon.
A case of murder has been registered and efforts are on to nab the absconding accused, police said.
