A local BJP leader was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Ferozabad district of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the November 3 assembly bypoll in the area, following which police have detained three people for questioning, an officer said on Saturday.

D K Gupta, 46, was shot at in the Nagla Beech area on Friday evening when he was returning home after closing his shop. He was rushed to a hospital where he died.

The police said three people have been detained for questioning based on a complaint filed by Gupta’s family.

Among those detained is Viresh Tomar with whom Gupta had some rivalry, they said, adding that the duo even had an exchange of words on Facebook recently.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sachindra Patel said, “All the angles are being thoroughly examined.”

“Yesterday night itself, police teams were formed and Viresh Tomar and two others were detained for questioning,” he added.

After Gupta’s killing, local residents staged a road blockade in protest.

Senior police officers reached the spot and a large number of security personnel were deployed in the area which falls under the Tundla assembly constituency, where by-election will be held on November 3.