Gurgaon, June 23
One of the motorcycle-borne assailants, who shot dead a village head at Hayatpur here this afternoon, was set on fire by angry villagers. He died on the spot while other assailants managed to escape. Police failed to act on time despite advance information about a brewing dispute over water between the deceased headman and others from the same village.

Rakesh, the sarpanch of Hayatpur village, was gunned down when the unidentified assailants opened fire on him from close range. The hail of bullets killed him on the spot.

Villagers, however, managed to catch hold of one of the assailants and set him on fire after assaulting him. The mob also torched the motorcycle he was riding. The police rushed him to the hospital but the unidentified man was declared dead on arrival.

A police team which reached the spot soon after the incident, tried to intervene but was attacked by the violent mob. Several policemen were also injured and their vehicle was also damaged by stone-pelting villagers.

Senior police officials rushed to the village and additional forces were also deployed to prevent recurrence of violence.

The Joint Commissioner of Police, Alok Mittal, informed that the deceased sarpanch had recently lodged a complaint against a resident of the same village over an alleged water dispute.