Jabalpur:
A 55-year-old social activist, who was trying to draw attention to alleged corruption in distribution of wheat in Madhya Pradesh, was shot dead at a village near Jabalpur.
The incident took place on Saturday as the victim, Ambika Prasad Dubey, and some locals stopped a vehicle carrying PDS grain in Jhilpani village, near Narsingpur. Villagers claimed that they wanted district officials to come and see for themselves how they were being denied their full quota of PDS grain.
A team of police personnel reached the spot to get the vehicle released. According to the daughter of the victim, when the police tried to take away the truck, the villagers began protesting. On being stopped, a police inspector allegedly shot Mr Dubey.
Critically injured, Mr Dubey was rushed to a nearby hospital by the villagers. But he died on his way.
His daughter Aarti claimed, "My father was shot at point-blank range."
The police however are tight-lipped about the incident. Jabalpur IG V Madhu Kumar said that comments can only be made after a thorough investigation into the incident.
The accused police officer has not been arrested yet.