Budaun (UP), March 12 Two officials of an ethanol plant were killed on Thursday, allegedly by a blacklisted vendor, officials said.
The killings took place at a plant of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in Sejni village under the Musajhag Police Station area, they said.
Plant's general manager, Sudhir Kumar Gupta, 58, and assistant general manager, Harshit Mishra, 34, were killed in the attack.
District Magistrate Avnish Rai said the alleged shooter, Ajay Pratap Singh alias Ramu, a local, was once a vendor at the plant. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Brijesh Kumar Singh said he has been arrested.
They said Gupta had recently terminated some employees and blacklisted vendors whose work was not satisfactory. Singh was among those removed.
Since the termination, Singh had been upset with the general manager and had threatened him several times, they said.
He once attacked Gupta's car, following which a case was registered against him at Dataganj Kotwali Police Station.
According to preliminary information, Singh came to the factory around 2 pm on Thursday and managed to cross the security gate before entering a conference room where Gupta was present.
He allegedly opened fire at him, and when Mishra intervened, he fired at him also. Both died on the spot, officials said.
The SSP said a probe is on in the matter.