A40-year-old Dera Sacha Sauda follower was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in Muktsar district in Punjab on Friday evening, police said.

Two motorcycle-borne assailants came to his shop and opened fire at him with bullet hitting him on face, police said, adding the victim was identified as Charandas.

The incident took place around 7:30 pm in Muktsar’s Bhundar village, said Senior Superintendent of Police Sarabjit Singh.

Charandas died while being taken to a hospital in Bathinda, he said.

The SSP said they were trying to track down the culprit.

Charandas, who was a Dera follower, was also an accused in some sacrilege case registered in 2018, said police.