BJP leaders seem to be target for their rivals after the party’s landslide victory in the parliamentary elections. After the recent murder of BJP leaders — Vinod Singh Pandit and Omveer Singh, another Uttarakhand party leader was brutally killed in Uttar Pradesh.
Uttarakhand BJP leader Rakesh Kumar Rastogi’s body was found in the rear seat of a car at Pachkheda village Baheria area of Bareilly district on Saturday morning. The autopsy report revealed that Rastogi was strangled to death. “He was also attacked by a screwdriver at his chest and stomach several times,” the police said.
Rastogi was native of Kitcha in Udhampur Nagar of Uttarakhand and was missing from his house for the last three days.
Meanwhile, newly-elected BJP MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti was also attacked by three people while she was returning from a ceremony in Fatehpur. She, however, escaped unhurt. The incident took place on late Saturday when she was returning from a function.
In her complaint, Niranjan alleged that one Bhanu Patel, along with his three aides, attacked her and opened fire on her car. Her gunman Rahul Tiwari has sustained injuries.
locals assembled at the spot and challenged the attackers. Bhanu Patel was arrested. However, his aides managed to flee the spot Superintendent of Police, Vinod Kumar Singh, said that the attack was executed in a pre-planned manner. He added that raids were being conducted to nab the other attackers.
Meanwhile, Bhanu Patel also lodged a FIR alleging Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and her supporters of looting his belongings and opening fire on him and his staff.
In his FIR, Patel alleged that four to five people including, Hamirpur civic body chairman Kuldeep Nishad opened fire and snatched his gold chain, mobile and purse and assaulted him.
BJP district unit general secretary Pramod Dwiwedi, however, claimed that the party MP’s supporters were being implicated falsely.