Lucknow, Aug 21 - Trying to pacify two young men involved in a street brawl proved dangerous for a police constable as he was shot point blank in Allahabad, officials said Friday.

The constable, Mohanlal, with a grievous bullet injury in his chest, is fighting for his life in a hospital. The incident took place at the Balson Crossing late Thursday night when Mohanlal, along with another constable, Radheyshyam Yadav, was going on duty.

'We were on our bicycles when we noticed two youths fighting on the road. Mohanlal approached them and while he was trying to pacify them, another youth standing there, pulled out a gun and shot him in his chest,' Yadav told IANS.

He was then rushed to Swaroop Rani Medical College in Allahabad.

'A massive search operation is on to nab the youths. We have got vital clues about them. We hope to nab them soon,' Deputy Inspector General (Allahabad) Chandra Prakash told IANS.

Allahabad, one of the five major cities in Uttar Pradesh, is 238 km from Lucknow.