Lucknow, April 28 (IANS): An assistant engineer with the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department has been shot at by some unidentified assailants in Balia town, police said Sunday.

D.P. Singh was shot at in the chest at his residence late Saturday and his condition is stated to be critical, Superintendent of Police Omkar Singh told IANS.

The engineer was rushed to a nearby clinic by neighbours and police but was later shifted to a hospital in Varanasi.

The assailants are yet to be apprehended. "We have registered an FIR (first information report) against unidentified people and efforts are on to nab the attackers," the police officer said.

Police teams have been constituted to work on the telephone details of the engineer prior to the attack, and round-up suspected criminals in the area. A team will also question the engineer's colleagues Monday, Omkar Singh said.

Police suspect some old rivalry or departmental dispute behind the attempt on the engineer's life.

Balia is around 650 km from the state capital Lucknow.