Madhya Pradesh: Tribal man injured after BJP MLA’s son shoots at him unprovoked

A tribal man in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh sustained an injury on his right hand after the son of the local BJP MLA shot at him while the victim was trying to intervene in an altercation.

Singrauli is just 80km from Sidhi, where the infamous urination incident involving a tribal man and the alleged representative of a BJP MLA that took the nation by storm last month, happened.

Vivekanand Vaishya, son of MLA Ramlallu Vaishya, allegedly opened fire at Surya Prakash Khairwar without any provocation in a busy area on Thursday early evening.

A case was registered by Morwa police six hours after the incident, only after the victim did not deter from his decision to file a case, local Congress leaders have alleged.

Former district Youth Congress president Praveen Singh Chauhan alleged that Vaishya was a habitual offender who assaulted and shot at forest officials last year, attacked a nurse and also some cops. However, no action was taken against him because of the influence of his father, Chauhan said. They also alleged that sections under SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act were not added in the current case despite the victim being a tribal.

Sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP), Singrauli, Rajeev Pathak, however, told THE WEEK that relevant sections of the SC/ST Act were added to the FIR after the caste certificate of the victim was produced. “We added the sections yesterday night itself. We just waited to see the caste certificate, which was not immediately available.”

A case has been registered against Vaishya for attempted murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 25 of the Arms Act too, he said.

Pathak said though the accused was absconding, he would be arrested soon as multiple police parties are on the lookout for him. The officer said the victim had been discharged from the hospital after necessary treatment.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra told reporters in Jabalpur: "Action will be taken. A case has been registered. The law will take its course."

According to the police report, the complainant, Surya Prakash Khairwar (34), saw his brothers Aditya Khairwar and Rahul Khaiwar in a heated argument with one Deepak Panika, while he was going to purchase groceries on his bike. Khairwar stopped and tried to intervene in the altercation when he was suddenly hit by a bullet. He then saw Vaishya sitting inside a car nearby holding the gun, and when he tried to question him, Vaishya reportedly tried to flee. The crowd that had gathered broke the windows of the car, but Vaishya managed to escape, sources said.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief and former chief minister Kamal Nath lashed out at the BJP government and questioned Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

“There is a competition among the BJP leaders of Madhya Pradesh to persecute the tribal community. Not long after the incident of urinating on a tribal youth in Sidhi, Vivekananda Vaishya, son of BJP MLA Ramlallu Vaishya, shot a tribal youth in Singrauli. The young man is seriously injured. I wish the victim tribal youth a speedy recovery,” he tweeted.

Nath added: “I want to know from the Chief Minister whether the only work left for BJP leaders is to harass tribals, Dalits, women and people of deprived sections. Far from curbing such crimes, you are seen promoting the criminals. Recently, you have made it clear that you are fast progressing in the campaign of criminalising the BJP, when you inducted a person from Harda, convicted for running a sex racket, in the BJP. State-nurtured crimes have become a stigma on Madhya Pradesh.”