Md Farooq Ahmed, the Adilabad district president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), was arrested Friday night after he shot at two persons with his licensed gun and injured another with a knife during an altercation over a cricket match near Tatiguda locality. The incident took place at around 5 pm.
The police said a “minor tussle that broke out between two local groups playing cricket snowballed into a conflict involving the parents of the locals.”
Videos of the incident, that have gone viral on social media, showed Ahmed firing four rounds with his gun at a mob that was chasing him. He could be seen wielding a knife, too. The police identified the injured as Syed Zameer, with two bullet injuries, Syed Mouthesin, with one bullet injury, and Syed Mannan, who sustained a head injury.
Zameer’s older son told the media that Ahmed has been brandishing his weapon in the locality for some time and terrorising the public. Meanwhile, Ahmed told reporters outside the police station that the mob tried to attack and kill him.
SP Vishnu Warrier told reporters the injured were shifted to Adilabad’s RIMS hospital and later shifted to Hyderabad for better treatment. He said the situation was brought under control by the police and appealed to all parties to remain calm.
The Two Town police have registered a case under section 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 506 r/w 34 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and under sections 27 and 30 of Arms Act- 1959.
Preliminary investigation, police said, points towards previous grudges between the two parties to be the source of conflict.
Police have increased presence in the locality and have also written to the Adilabad district collector for immediate cancellation of the gun license of the accused.