GORAKHPUR, Aug. 10 -- A 52-year-old electricity department contractor was allegedly shot at, chased for nearly 500 metres and then hacked to death by armed assailants while he was attending a Brahm Bhoj (post-death feast) in Ahirauli village under the Sikri Ganj police station area on Saturday evening. The victim, identified as Shivkumar Tripathi, was attending the feast near his village when the attackers allegedly opened fire at him. Despite sustaining injuries, Tripathi tried to flee. The assailants reportedly pursued him before attacking him with a sharp-edged weapon and killing him. Preliminary investigation suggests that the murder may have been linked to a two-year-old rivalry. Police said the dispute dates back to August 2024, when Adesh Chaudhary, 23, nephew of Vinod Chaudhary, was killed following a clash with a group of people at Braipur crossing. The killing triggered tension in the Sikri Ganj area. Markets in Ahirauli Bazar remained closed following the incident, amid protests by local residents. SP South Denesh Puri said police teams rushed to the spot after receiving information. The body was sent for post-mortem examination. "Teams have been formed to identify and arrest those involved. Efforts are also underway to establish the exact sequence of events," the SP said. SHO Sikri Ganj Anjul Chaturvedi said the deceased was the elder brother of two other family members serving in the Army and was a resident of Gandhi Nagar in Gorakhpur. On the written complaint of Aditya Tripathi, an advocate and the son of the deceased, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and detained four suspects for questioning. Circle officer Deepanshi Rathore said: "The incident is being investigated from all angles. Police teams are working to identify the accused and ascertain the motive behind the murder," she said. Meanwhile, lawyers staged a protest at the post-mortem house on Sunday. Protesters also blocked traffic on the Gorakhpur-Maharajganj route and demanded the death penalty for the accused. htc...