A trader's wife was shot dead by three unidentified assailants in Pichore town here, police said today.
Grain merchant Maithili Gupta's wife, Mona Gupta (30) along with her kids was busy doing their homework when three masked men forcibly entered their house last night, Pichore Police Station In-charge, Hemant Sharma said.
They asked her about her husband and when she informed that he has gone to the market, the men snatched her gold chain and moved towards the almirah.
When Mona protested, they shot at her neck with a pistol following which she died on the spot, Sharma said.
The men left an empty bag at the spot and escaped from the area on a motorcycle.
After hearing gunshots, people came out of their houses and saw the three masked men fleeing on a motorcycle from the area.
Soon the children informed their father Maithili about the incident and later police also reached the spot and launched a manhunt to nab them.
When SP Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi reached the spot, agitated locals raised slogans against police, but they were pacified.
Taking the incident seriously, the SP has sent Sharma to police lines.
A case has been registered in this regard and further investigations are on, the SP said.
