PRAYAGRAJ, Sept. 17 -- Police on Wednesday arrested four accused, including history-sheeter Jitendra Yadav alias Lalla and Nihal Ali, in connection with the murder of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Pawan Yadav. The arrests followed an encounter during a search operation. Lalla and Nihal sustained bullet injuries to their legs and were admitted to a hospital. The other two accused arrested in the case are Brijesh Yadav and Vinod Yadav, the husband of the Mugraon village pradhan. Police said all four were being questioned to investigate every aspect of the murder. According to police, Pawan Yadav was shot dead on Tuesday evening at around 6pm in the Handia police station area of Prayagraj. He had just come out of a cafe in Handia town and was walking towards his car when three motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire on him. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police examined footage from around 42 CCTV cameras, including cameras installed at the Handia toll plaza. The footage reportedly helped them identify three suspects riding a motorcycle. A video showing the alleged attackers has also surfaced. During interrogation, police learned that Nihal Ali was riding the motorcycle, Brijesh Yadav was seated in the middle and Lalla Yadav was sitting at the rear. Police claimed that Lalla fired the fatal shot at Pawan Yadav. According to police, Vinod Yadav, the husband of the Mugraon village head, commissioned the murder due to political rivalry and an old feud. Police officials said Vinod had promised Jitendra Yadav alias Lalla Rs.5 lakh to carry out the killing. Police sources said the murder was the result of a long-standing personal rivalry between Pawan Yadav and Lalla Yadav. Lalla, a resident of Mugraon village in the Handia area, is a known history-sheeter with more than a dozen criminal cases registered against him, including charges of murder, attempted murder and robbery. Police recovered the motorcycle allegedly used in the crime along with two country-made pistols. During questioning, the accused reportedly told police that the weapons and ammunition had been purchased for Rs.20,000. Meanwhile, following the post-mortem examination, the victim's family, villagers and many supporters placed the body on the highway and staged a road blockade. Traffic on the Prayagraj-Varanasi and Varanasi-Kanpur routes was disrupted for approximately three hours. Police eventually cleared the blockade using mild force. Senior police officials said further recoveries were being pursued and efforts were underway to collect additional evidence. They said the investigation was continuing and further action may follow based on the findings....