Case Filed Against Unidentified Assailants After Stone Pelting Attack on Former Minister Anil Deshmukh in Nagpur
Nagpur: Police in Nagpur have registered a case against four unidentified individuals on charges of attempt to murder after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was seriously injured in a stone-pelting attack on his car. The incident took place on the evening of November 19, just a day before the Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20.
Deshmukh, who was returning to Katol after attending a meeting in Narkhed village, was targeted near Belphata on Jalalkheda Road in Nagpur district. Unidentified individuals threw stones at his vehicle, causing Deshmukh to suffer significant injuries. He was initially rushed to the Katol Civil Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Nagpur for further treatment due to the severity of his injuries.
Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Harssh Poddar confirmed the registration of a case and assured that the police are taking the incident seriously. A forensic team has been dispatched to the scene to gather technical evidence, and the Deputy SP of Katol is leading the investigation. Senior police officials and the district collector have also visited the site of the attack. Poddar has appealed to the public to refrain from spreading rumors about the incident.
The attack occurred on the final day of campaigning for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, fueling political speculation. The NCP (SP) has strongly condemned the attack, with spokesperson Vedprakash Arya demanding a high-level inquiry and increased police protection for Deshmukh’s family. Arya claimed that the attack was orchestrated by political opponents fearing a crushing defeat in the elections, labeling it a “cowardly” act.
Deshmukh’s son, Salil Deshmukh, is contesting from the Katol Assembly constituency on the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) ticket, facing off against BJP’s Charansingh Thakur in the upcoming elections.
