A day after BJP leader Brijpal Teotia was shot at in Ghaziabad in the daredevil Thursday night attack, in which at least 100 rounds were fired using AK-47 rifles and a pistol of 9mm calibre, police on Friday detained six people, including an Uttar Pradesh Police woman constable, for questioning. Severely-wounded Teotia is battling for life in Noida’s Fortis Hospital.
Teotia’s Scorpio was forced to stop on Rawli road under Murad Nagar police station of Ghaziabad about 8.30 pm and another vehicle Toyota Fortuner SUV also stopped behind his Scorpio SUV surrounding Teotia and his private security guards from both the sides, said eyewitnesses, adding that within seconds, they (assailants) started firing from their automatic weapons.
“After firing over a hundred rounds, the attackers fled in their vehicles believing Teotia and his accomplices to be dead,” said police officials, who seized AK-47 and 9MM calibre pistol, along with, over a hundred used cartridges that were dumped by the attackers in a three-wheeler.
The BJP leader, who had unsuccessfully contested 2012 Assembly election from his hometown Kavi Nagar from Rawali village of Murad Nagar, was rushed to a hospital.
Several BJP leaders, including union minister Mahesh Sharma, Gen VK Singh, Pankaj Singh and State president Keshav Prasad Morya visited the BJP leader in the hospital to know his condition.
“The patient was brought to the hospital last night in a critical condition with multiple gunshot injuries. We have conducted two major operations on him while another operation will be conducted today. Three teams of doctors from different surgical departments are observing him. Due to multiple gunshot injuries, he has lost excessive amount of blood but it has been recovered. The patient is on life support and his condition continues to be critical. We will keep him for next 48 hours for further medical observation,” said Dr Viabhav Mishra, surgeon of Fortis hospital on Friday.
His condition was reported to be stable, said sources.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh Javeed Ahmed said, “The vehicle and the weapons, including an automatic rifle and a pistol, used in the incident have been recovered. The focus now is on arresting the criminals.”
Police were investigating the crime from different angles and a team of forensic experts have been sent to collect evidences, said the DGP.
“As far as background of the incident is concerned, we are working on two-three theories. There was an encounter two-three years back which revolves around rivalry. There is another angle related to a family, where triple murder case took place,” the DGP said.
In the attack, Teotia is reported to have sustained six gunshot injuries.
Six persons have been detained for questioning, Superintendent of Police Rakesh Pandey said. “Prima facie, the incident seems to be an outcome of personal enmity. Teotia has had a rivalry with a dreaded criminal, Rakesh Hasanpuria, who was killed by Ghaziabad police in an encounter. His wife Sunita, an UP Police constable, is among those detained. But till now no arrest has been made.”
The locals informed police which reached the spot and rushed all the injured people -identified as Ram Pal Singh, Ashok Singh (a resident of Nangla Sakhi, Ferozabad), Mohkam Singh Malik (a resident of Chhaysa Police Station, Jarcha district in Gautam Budh Nagar), Indra Pal Singh (a resident of Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad) and Vipin (a resident of lethra district, Shahjahanpur) - to local Sarvodaya Hospital from where Teotia was referred to Fortis Hospital in Noida.