A man allegedly shot his younger brother dead during a heated family confrontation over a post-death ritual for their mother in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district on Tuesday.

A man allegedly shot his younger brother dead during a heated family confrontation over a post-death ritual for their mother in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district on Tuesday. The incident unfolded in the Pipraich area, where Shubham Sharma was allegedly gunned down by his elder brother, Durgvijay Sharma, following an escalating dispute over the organisation of their mother's brahm bhoj ceremony. The accused, 40-year-old Durgvijay, is currently on the run.

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Shubham suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was rushed to Nehru Hospital at BRD Medical College where doctors declared him dead.

According to police, tensions had been simmering within the family ever since the death of the brothers' mother. While Shubham and another sibling reportedly favoured conducting a joint brahm bhoj, Durgvijay and one more brother wanted separate ceremonies.

The disagreement reached a breaking point on Tuesday afternoon at the family's residence in Barki Rewtiya village. During the argument, Durgvijay allegedly pulled out a country-made pistol and fired at Shubham, shooting him in the chest and leaving him critically injured.

Upon receiving information about the incident, Pipraich police rushed to the scene, secured the area, and began collecting evidence as part of the investigation.

SP North Gyanendra Kumar said the preliminary investigation indicates that the murder stemmed from a family dispute over the brahm bhoj arrangements. Teams have been formed to arrest the accused.

Police have launched a manhunt for Durgvijay Sharma, while further investigation into the case is underway.