An AIMIM leader was allegedly stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in Hyderabad late Sunday night, police said.
Mehboob Ali, the AIMIM's area president, was attacked around 10 pm near Guntal Shah Baba Dargah in Vattepally.
According to police, Ali was attacked by five to six people and sustained serious injuries. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment, where he later died of his injuries.
A senior police officer said that preliminary information indicated that the attackers arrived as a group and stabbed Ali. Police are yet to establish the exact motive behind the killing.
Police have formed three teams to investigate the murder.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the area and gathering eyewitness accounts to identify the assailants. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest all those involved in the attack.
The killing has triggered concern in the Old City, particularly over the reported use of knives and the apparent involvement of multiple attackers.
Police, however, have not yet linked the incident to any political dispute or confirmed whether the killing was connected to Ali's political activities.
The incident comes amid renewed public scrutiny over law and order in Hyderabad, with questions raised over surveillance, policing and preventive measures in vulnerable areas.
With Ali's killing, the old city has witnessed six murders till this month this year.
