Former Mannewal village sarpanch Navjeet Singh Neetu (55) was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants on South City Road in the Ladhowal area in Ludhiana district on Saturday evening.According to the police, Neetu was on his way to his land when the assailants intercepted him and opened fire. He sustained multiple bullet injuries and died on the spot. The attackers escaped on their motorcycle.The firing triggered panic in the area, following which police teams reached the spot and started investigating the incident. Around four empty bullet shells were recovered from the crime scene, the police said.ACP (West) Jatinderpal Singh said a case had been registered against eight persons, including two identified accused and six unidentified persons. The police were scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify the remaining suspects and establish the sequence of events, he said.Ladhowal SHO Sukhwinder Singh said the FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s family members. He said a land dispute involving Neetu and his partner in Mannewal village had surfaced during the preliminary investigation.The police are investigating the land dispute angle and other possible reasons behind the murder. Further investigation is under way.