Bathinda (Punjab), Aug 2 - Son of a former Akali Dal minister of Punjab was found murdered in his car in this Punjab town Sunday, police said.

Sandeep Singh Dhillon, son of former Akali Dal leader Teja Singh, was found dead in his car, according to officials. He had been shot in the back, possibly from a close range. He left his home in the morning with two of his friends.

District police chief Ashish Chaudhary said the police have registered a case and started our investigations.

Police sources said that Dhillon had an old enmity with another family of the same area over a piece of land.

Dhillon had a criminal background as he was convicted and awarded life imprisonment in a murder case of 1998 but was later granted a pardon by the Punjab governor.

Bathinda town is around 250 km away from the state capital.