Singrauli (MP), Aug 13 (PTI) A 35-year-old forest guard was allegedly mowed down by a transport vehicle driven by a fruit vendor in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli district on Tuesday, prima facie to avenge an old dispute, police said.

Police are investigating villagers' claim that the bike was dragged for some distance by the accused driver before he fled the scene with his vehicle.

Also Read | Bear Attack in US: Black Bear Mauls 3-Year-Old Girl in Tent at Montana Campground.

The incident occurred in Darbari Nala village, around 80 km from the Singrauli district headquarters, this morning, an official said.

According to Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Ashish Jain, the deceased, identified as Shital Singh Gaud, was en route to his duty on a motorcycle when the accused, Kamlesh Saket, deliberately rammed his pickup truck into Gaud's motorcycle.

Also Read | Saket Gokhale Charged in PMLA Case: TMC MP Faces Criminal Charges in Money Laundering Case, Says ED.

Saket, a local fruit and vegetable seller, had previously had a dispute with Gaud over pricing, which escalated into a physical altercation.

In what appears to have been an act of retaliation, Saket allegedly ran his vehicle over Gaud, resulting in the forest guard's death.

Following the attack, Saket fled the scene with his vehicle and family, and a search operation is currently underway to apprehend him, the police officer said.

A murder case under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita has been registered against Saket.

In response to the incident, local villagers staged a protest, alleging that Saket dragged Gaud's body over a considerable distance with his vehicle.

Police are investigating.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)