A man was shot dead by an unidentified assailant at a roadside eatery here, hours before a video in which the victim claimed to receive death threats went viral on social media, the police said on Friday.
The incident took place on Thursday night in the Khairabad area here when Ramesh Maurya (22) was having food at the eatery and was shot in the head from behind by a masked assailant, they added.
On being informed, a police team reached the spot and admitted Maurya to a government hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, Circle Officer (City) Susheel Singh said.
Following the incident, the police collected evidence from the crime spot and recorded the statement of the family members. The CCTV footage of the area has been collected and an investigation is underway, Singh said.
On Friday, a video started doing rounds on social media in which Maurya said one Ayan and his associates should be held responsible if any untoward incident happened to him.
Maurya also urged Mahant Bajrang Muni Das, a prominent local Hindu priest, to ensure that in case he is murdered, strict action is taken against the accused, including Ayan, who threatened to shoot him dead a couple of days ago.
"The video appears to have been shot a few days ago. We are looking into the veracity of the video and the allegations made in it," the CO said.
Based on the video, an FIR has been registered against 13 persons, including the prime accused Ayan, he added.
Maurya, worked as a battery mechanic at a local shop, the police said, adding that his body has been sent for post-mortem.