Congress leader Halke Raja was critically injured when unidentified assailants fired at his vehicle near Imaliya Tiraaha in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district. The incident, suspected to be linked to a political and electoral rivalry, took place in Vikrampur village as Raja was returning home from Chhatarpur in a Bolero. Family members reported that a group of armed men attacked the vehicle, with Halke Raja sustaining multiple gunshot injuries to his legs, thighs, and shoulders.
Police suspect that the attack on Halke Raja, carried out by seven to eight assailants in two to three vehicles, was premeditated due to a long-standing political feud related to local elections. Raja’s nephew, Abhay Raj Singh Bundela, mentioned that the attackers also assaulted Raja with baseball bats before fleeing the scene. Following the incident, Raja was first taken to a local hospital and later transferred to Gwalior for further treatment as his condition worsened.
Aniruddh Chaturvedi, overseeing Raja’s treatment, confirmed that the Congress leader was admitted with severe firearm injuries, undergoing medical care in the intensive care unit with ongoing surgical procedures. Family members accused residents of the same village, allegedly linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party, as the perpetrators of the attack. Police investigations are ongoing, focusing on the motive behind the incident, with initial findings pointing towards an old rivalry between the involved groups.
Chhatarpur Superintendent of Police Rajat Saklecha mentioned that evidence has been collected from the crime scene, and a search operation has been initiated to apprehend the accused individuals. Security measures have been heightened in and around Vikrampur village to prevent any potential escalation of tensions in the area.
