Chhatarpur, May 18 (IANS) Congress leader Halke Raja was critically injured after unidentified assailants allegedly opened fire at his vehicle near Imaliya Tiraaha in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district on Monday evening.

Police suspect the attack was linked to a long-standing political and electoral rivalry.

The incident occurred in Vikrampur village, under the Rajnagar police station limits, when the Congress leader was returning to his native village from Chhatarpur in a Bolero.

According to family members, a group of armed men intercepted the vehicle and launched a violent attack.

Halke Raja’s nephew, Abhay Raj Singh Bundela, alleged that seven to eight assailants travelling in two to three vehicles surrounded the Bolero and opened indiscriminate fire.

“About six to seven rounds were fired at the vehicle. The attackers also assaulted him with baseball bats before fleeing from the spot,” Bundela said.

Halke Raja sustained multiple gunshot injuries to his legs, thighs, and shoulders.

He was initially taken to a local hospital and later referred to Gwalior after his condition became critical.

Aniruddh Chaturvedi, who is supervising the treatment, said the Congress leader was admitted with serious firearm injuries.

“He has gunshot wounds on his hands and legs. A team of doctors is treating him in the intensive care unit, and a surgical procedure is currently underway,” Chaturvedi said.

Family members have named Lokpal Singh Bundela, Virendra Singh Bundela, and Satyam Singh, all residents of the same village, as accused in the case.

They alleged that the accused are linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party and that the attack was the outcome of a long-standing political feud related to local elections.

Police officials said the motive behind the attack is being investigated, though preliminary findings indicate an old rivalry between the groups involved.

Chhatarpur Superintendent of Police Rajat Saklecha said police teams have collected evidence from the crime scene and launched a search operation to nab the accused.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that the incident is linked to an old dispute. We have collected evidence from the spot and formed teams to trace the accused persons,” Saklecha said.

“A first information report will be registered shortly, and strict action will be taken against those involved in the incident,” he added.

Following the attack, security has been tightened in and around Vikrampur village to prevent any escalation of tension in the area.

–IANS

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