A journalist was assaulted by a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and his brother in Shastri Nagar in Jabalpur on Saturday.
The journalist working with the Raj Express, Ashish Vishwakarma, was attacked with a sword and a baseball bat by the BJP leader, Hridesh Rajput, and his brother Neeraj.
According to Additional Superintendent of Police GP Parashar, Rajput and his brother Neeraj had invited Vishwakarma to their residence on the pretext of celebrating the latter's birthday and attacked him with a sword and a baseball bat as soon as he entered the house.
Vishwakarma sustained severe injuries on the head and the other parts of the body, but managed to escape and called his family members, who admitted him to a private hospital, police said.
In his statement to the police, Vishwakarma said that he had published a story in the newspapers a couple of days ago and Rajput had earlier objected to it, but later the matter was settled.
He said that Shastri Nagar colony, where the incident took place, falls under the jurisdiction of Garha police station, but when his family members reported the attack to the Garha police station, there was no response. later, the family members approached the city superintendent of police and other officials.
Additional Superintendent of Police GP Parashar and City Superintendent of Police Azeem Khan are now handling the case, said district police chief Ashish.
On the charge of laxity in discharging his duties, the SHO of Garha police station, HR Kaurav, has been line-attached.
"The police are close to arresting the two BJP leaders, who attacked the journalist. A case of attempt to murder has been registered against the two at the Garha police station," Parashar said.