A local leader of the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and three others were shot dead today in Varanasi in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.
The politician, Mr Anil Rai, his bodyguard and two others were killed when attackers on a motorbike sprayed their vehicle with bullets.
Another two people in the car were also shot but survived the attack, which occurred in a busy city street, police said.
The group was on its way home from the city railway station, where they had picked up Mr Rai on his return from a trip to New Delhi, when the attack took place late morning.
Police said the attack could be related to a long-standing family feud linked to an incident in which Mr Rai's brother was murdered several years ago. They did not believe there was any political motive behind the killing.
AFP