Youth injured in firing by BJP MLA and aides dies, MLA's son still untraceable

INDORE: A 22-year-old farmer Pratap Lodhi who was critically injured in an attack allegedly by ruling BJP MLA and ex-MP minister Tukoji Rao Puar’s son Vikram Singh Rao Puar and aides in Raghogarh village of Dewas district on Wednesday evening, died at a private hospital in Indore today morning.
Pratap, who was battling for life at Indore hospital since Wednesday evening on life support system died early in the morning, due to deep brain injuries caused by blunt object, Dewas district's Barotha police station in-charge Savita Chaudhary said.
With the critically injured youth succumbing to injuries, the MLA’s son and his aides, who were hitherto accused of attempted killing under Sections 307 of IPC, will now be booked for murder by the Barotha police under Section 302 of IPC.
While five aides of the MLA’s son, including Kailash Bagwan, Raja Bhatia, Anwar Pathan, Virendra Thakur and Rinku have already been arrested in Dewas, the prime accused Vijay Singh Rao Puar, remains untraceable.
“We’re conducting raids all around Dewas and have also alerted cops in adjoining districts for arresting Vikram,” Dewas SP Abhay Singh said.
On Wednesday evening, the MLA’s son and aides had gone on rampage in Raghogarh village adjoining the Indore-Harda highway to get their land vacated of the farmers, who have been farming on it since decades, reportedly with the consent of the erstwhile Dewas royal family presently headed by the ruling party MLA.
Four persons, including Pratap Lodhi and a woman Avanta Bai were hurt in firing and attack with sharp edged weapons by the MLA’s son and aides. While Barotha police had booked the MLA’s son and 10-15 aides for attempted murder and rioting, besides provisions of Arms Act, the Bank Note Press police, also in Dewas district had the same night lodged case against the farmers on the cross complaint by Kailash Bagwan, a key aide of the MLA’s son.
No arrests, however, have taken place in that case, which is now being investigated by Barotha police.