Phagwara (Punjab), March 5 (IANS) The former chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing in this Punjab town was shot dead Friday by unidentified assailants, police said. Party activists blocked traffic and enforced a shutdown to protest the murder.

'Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM)'s former city chief Sudershan Dhillon was going in his car when a vehicle blocked his way. Four armed men came out and attacked Dhillon with some sharp-edged weapons. After this they shot him in the head from close range and fled,' a police official said.

He said a case had been registered and investigations were on.

'We are scrutinising the call details of Dhillon and verifying his past record. It could be because of some personal rivalry but right now, it's difficult to reach any conclusion,' the official added.

Following this incident, agitated BJP and BYJM workers came out on roads and blocked traffic on National Highway 1. They also forced local shopkeepers to down shutters.

However, the police official said the situation in the town, 200 km from Chandigarh, was under control.

'We have diverted the traffic to other routes to avoid any trouble. We have deployed heavy security in the region to avoid any untoward incident, he said.