Two local BJP leaders were shot dead today allegedly in an attack by unknown assailants, police said.
According to police, in the incident that occurred in the evening, two persons walked into the office of Shirish Bangali, former president of the Bharuch district unit of BJP, and opened fire on him and Pragnesh Mistry, the district general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
Mistry was also a senate member of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University.
“When Bangali and Mistry were present in the former’s office inside a commercial complex on Sewashram Road, two unidentified persons came on their bike to the office at around 7 PM. They fired two to three rounds on Bangali and Mistry before fleeing on their bike,” said Bharuch SP Shobha Bhutda.
Locals had called an ambulance and rushed the duo to a nearby hospital.
“While doctors pronounced Bangali as brought dead, Mistry died shortly after being admitted. Bangali was shot in his head while Mistry was shot near his stomach. We have started efforts to nab the culprits,” said Bhutda.
Meanwhile, Range DIG, Vadodara, AS Gehlot said, “We have formed three committees headed by the deputy superintendent of police and hope to nab the attackers soon. The case is being investigated from different angles.”
According to locals, Bangali was a prominent RSS as well as BJP face in Bharuch while Mistry was an emerging leader. Bangali was president of the Bharuch unit of BJP between 2009 and 2012.
Sources said that Bangali had survived a murderous attack on him around 15 years back.