Attack on Anil Deshmukh: Case against 4 unidentified persons for murder bid

NCP (SP) has demanded a high-level probe into the incident which occurred on the last day of campaigning

Police have registered a case against four unidentified persons on charges of attempt to murder after NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh was seriously injured in stone pelting at his car in Nagpur, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident, which triggered a slugfest between the ruling BJP and the opposition party, took place at around 8 pm on Monday and Anil Deshmukh was later admitted to a private hospital in Nagpur, from where he was discharged on Tuesday.

The Nagpur police are using advanced technical methods to track down the four assailants responsible for pelting stones at the vehicle of the veteran politician.

At a press conference, Dilip Patil Bhujbal, Special Inspector General of Police (Nagpur Range), along with Superintendent of Police (SP) Harsh Poddar, provided details of the investigation carried out so far.

Bhujbal confirmed artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, along with data from the District Urban Management (DUM) system, are being used to identify the attackers.

He emphasized that while certain technical leads are being pursued, the motive behind the attack remains unclear.

The special IG indicated further details of the attack may emerge once expert reports are available, but insisted the primary focus of the police at this stage remained on identifying and apprehending the suspects.

State NCP (SP) spokesperson Pravin Kunte claimed there was a "conspiracy" against Anil Deshmukh, who received injuries on his head and shoulder, and blamed the BJP for the incident.

The party headed by veteran politician Sharad Pawar has demanded a high-level probe into the incident, which occurred on the last day of campaigning for the November 20 assembly elections.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, used a Rajinikanth movie analogy to pick holes in circumstances surrounding the stone attack on Anil Deshmukh, saying the "entire story" seems a hoax to gain sympathy in the face of imminent poll defeat.

"This purported attack is part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to divert attention from the imminent defeat they are facing in (November 20) assembly elections," Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

The senior BJP leader said the claim regarding a "10-kg stone" hitting Deshmukh's car doesn't add up, as the vehicle reportedly didn't suffer a significant damage.

"If such a large stone was hurled at the car, the windshield should have been smashed. Moreover, the bonnet of the car didn't receive a scratch," Fadnavis said.

"Why did Deshmukh sustain only minor abrasions? This entire story is reminiscent of scenes from a Rajinikanth movie rather than reality. It reads like Salim-Javed script of yesteryears," the home minister quipped.

Anil Deshmukh was returning to Katol after attending a meeting in Narkhed village. Some unidentified persons threw stones at his car near Belphata on Jalalkheda Road near Katol in Nagpur district.

The former minister, who received injuries during the attack, was immediately rushed to the Katol Civil Hospital, police said.

He was later admitted to a private hospital in Nagpur city.

Nagpur Rural SP Poddar said they have taken serious cognisance of the incident and registered a case against four unidentified persons on charges of attempt to murder.

A forensic team visited the incident spot to collect technical evidence and create the entire scene of attack, he said.

The deputy SP of Katol was heading the investigation, Poddar informed.

Anil Deshmukh's son Salil is contesting from the Katol assembly constituency on the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) ticket against BJP's Charansingh Thakur.

Addressing a press conference, NCP (SP) spokesperson Kunte said the former minister suffered injuries on his head and shoulder and doctors have advised him bed rest.

Asked who was behind the attack, Kunte blamed it on the BJP and its leaders.

He alleged there was a "nexus" involving Fadnavis, BJP MLC Parinay Fuke and Katol nominee Thakur that was operating in the area.

Kunte raised questions over Fuke holding a press conference on Tuesday morning and claiming the attack on Anil Deshmukh was a "political stunt".

"It is not a stunt but a conspiracy against Anil Deshmukh," the NCP (SP) spokesperson maintained.

According to the police, the attackers, who were on two motorcycles, threw three stones at Anil Deshmukh's car. The first stone hit the front of the vehicle, the second struck a window near the rear passenger seat, while the third one was thrown from behind the car.

After the attack, the assailants quickly fled the scene and headed towards the Bharashingi area on their motorcycles. Despite efforts to trace the getaway vehicles using CCTV footage, authorities discovered no motorcycles had been captured on surveillance cameras between 8 and 9 pm in the area where the attack took place, they said.

Police have recovered the stones and other potential evidence from the scene, with forensic experts involved in their analysis.