MEERUT, March 13 -- Two senior officials of an ethanol plant were shot dead on Thursday, by a blacklisted vendor, said police on Thursday. The killings took place at a plant of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in Sejni village under the Musajhag Police Station area, they said, adding that the accused, a former vendor whose firm had been blacklisted earlier this year, has been arrested.

The victims have been identified as Sudhir Gupta (55), deputy general manager, and Harshit Mishra (40), assistant manager (Sales). The accused has been identified as Ajay Pratap Singh, also known as Ramu Singh, who previously worked as a straw (parali) supplier for the plant, said police.

According to a preliminary investigation, Singh arriv...