LOHARDAGA: A local BJP leader was shot dead in his sleep in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district early on Monday, police said.
The incident took place at Jima Chatakpur village in Kuru police station area around 2 am, officer-in-charge Anil Kumar said.
The deceased has been identified as Rantu Mahato, a BJP booth committee president. He was rushed to Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) at Ranchi but he died on the way, the officer said.
Five people were arrested within hours of the incident, police said.
"We have arrested five people in connection with the gunning down of Mahato and also recovered the firearm and cartridges used in the killing," said Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Lohardaga, B N Singh.
The victim and the accused had a long-standing dispute over a plot of land, the SDPO said.