Sultanpur, Aug 18 : After Executive Engineer Santosh Kumar of Jal Nigam was brutally murdered in the Vinobapuri locality of Sultanpur's Kotwali Nagar, in the wee hours of Sunday, his alleged murderers were injured in a cross fire.

Santosh Kumar was beaten to death on Saturday by Amit, a contractual Assistant Engineer from the same department, and his accomplice, Pradeep.

An FIR has been registered by Santosh's brother Sanjay at Kotwali Nagar, charging the accused of murder, along with other relevant sections including the SC/ST Act.

A forensic team has collected evidence from the crime scene.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Arun Chandra said: "The police launched a manhunt for the suspects. Authorities received information last night that Amit and Pradeep were attempting to flee from Banaras to Bihar via Banaras Road from Dubeypur turn. A police team quickly set up a blockade in the area."

"At approximately 2 a.m., when the suspects were spotted, they opened fire on the police. The police responded with gunfire in self-defense, injuring both Amit Kumar and Pradeep, who were subsequently transported to the district hospital for treatment," he said.

On Saturday, Santosh Kumar was beaten to death by individuals from his department. In the morning, the assailants arrived at Santosh's location, restrained him by gagging him, and then subjected him to a severe beating.

The brutal attack was witnessed by Santosh's doctor, who immediately raised an alarm. Despite efforts to save him, Santosh succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital, where he was declared dead.

The motive for the murder remains unclear, and the police are actively investigating the case. However, Santosh's brother Sanjay told the police that Santosh Kumar had prepared a 250-page chargesheet against an agency working under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which was to be blacklisted.

/IANS