A district-level Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was shot dead near his house in Bihar’s Katihar district on Monday.

Sanjeev Mishra, 55, a former Zilla Parishad member, was talking to some people near his house at about 8 am when two men came on a motorcycle and opened fire, a police officer of Katikar Telta police station 300km from state capital Patna said.

“He was immediately taken to the nearest hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The accused managed to flee the spot,” the officer said.

Sanjeev Mishra’s supporters reached the Tetla police station and went on a rampage, attacking several police vehicles parked.

Katihar superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Kumar said senior police officers have been sent to the spot, and that the case was being probed “from all possible angles” and the accused will be arrested soon.

Mishra’s family alleged that the Katihar BJP leader faced a risk to his life from a group of people led by a man they identified as Mohammad Mobid.