Man shot at over taxi stand dispute

A dispute between two groups to run an illegal taxi stand at Polytechnic crossing led to firing in broad day light in Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar here on Thursday afternoon.

One of the two groups alleged firing by the members of another group in which one person suffered bullet injury. The incident led to panic among passersby and traffic was interrupted for over 30 minutes. The injured, Bhanu Pratap Singh suffered bullet wound in his thigh and is undergoing treatment in Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.

The injured alleged that four SUV-borne assailants attacked him when he, along with his two friends Ankit Singh and Sunil Yadav, was heading towards the district court in his car at around 3pm. He said the assailants intercepted his car, dragged him out and thrashed him. He said one of them, identified as Raja Afzal, shot at him when he resisted. He added that the assailants left behind one of the SUVs bearing BJP flag and secretariat vehicle pass.

Satyendra Rai, station officer, Vibhuti Khand said Singh had accused Raja Afzal, Pawan Singh, Paritosh Tripathi, Muslim and 12 others in the complaint lodged with the police. He said the FIR had been registered under IPC section 307 for attempt to murder. The SUV left behind has been seized and probe revealed that it was registered in the name of Muslim. He said the raids were on in search of all the accused. Rai said initial probe revealed that the incident was the fallout of a dispute between two groups led by Bhanu Pratap Singh and Kuldeep Singh, who wanted supremacy in running the illegal taxi stand at Polytechnic crossing.