A Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Thursday, ANI reported. He was identified as Prahlad Bandhwar, the president of the city municipal corporation.

The incident took place in the city’s Nai Abaadi area at around 7 pm, when the assailants, who were on a bike, shot Bandhwar from a close range, Patrika reported. Passersby took him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

The police have registered a case and started an investigation. Kotwali police station house officer SL Borsi said one of the accused was involved in a land dispute with Bandhwar. “We have got a name, the police are searching for him,” Borsi added. “A police team has gone for the same.”