Madhya Pradesh: Union minister’s son, nephew booked for murder bid

BHOPAL:

Madhya Pradesh

police have registered a case of attempt-to-murder against the son and nephew of Union minister Prahlad Singh Patel following a clash in Narsinghpur district in which five persons, including a policeman, were injured, around midnight on Monday.


Prabal, son of Prahlad Patel, and his cousin Monu — son of former Madhya Pradesh minister Jalam Singh Patel — are among 12 persons booked for attempted murder. One of those injured was shot and is in hospital.

“It was a clash between two groups over some petty issue at Bailhai locality of Gotegaon town. Some members of both groups have sand mining licenses in the area. Prabal Patel, son of Prahlad Singh Patel, Monu Patel, son of Jalam Singh Patel, and 10 others were in one group that beat up members of the other group,” Gotegaon police station in-charge, Prabhat Shukla told TOI.

A homeguard jawan, Ishwar Chand Rai, was injured when he went to save his son who was among those beaten up, said Shukla, identifying the other injured as Himanshu Rathore, Rahul Rajput, Mayank Mishra and Shivam Rai. Rathore has suffered a bullet injury.

“Monu is a

history-sheeter

. More than 40 cases are registered against him. We are looking for all the accused and have sent the injured to Jabalpur for treatment,” said Shukla.

Union minister Prahlad Singh Patel is in Delhi, where Lok Sabha is in session, and could not be contacted. His brother Jalam Singh Patel — a former minister in Madhya Pradesh government — called it a political conspiracy.

“It is politically motivated action. My son Monu and nephew Prahlad were not present on the spot. Both of them have been framed in the case. I demand a fair investigation. If the mobile location of Monu and Prabal is tracked, things will be clear immediately,” Jalam Singh Patel told TOI.