‘Shooting attack on addl CMO mysterious’

Dr P K Singh was allegedly shot at by unknown people at the Chilbila Railway crossing in Pratapgarh district’s City Kotwali police station area where his driver had stopped for the train to pass by.

WITH THE police yet to find any motive behind the shooting attack on Amethi’s additional chief medical officer Friday evening, preliminary investigation has left the police clueless about the sequence of events.

Dr P K Singh was allegedly shot at by unknown people at the Chilbila Railway crossing in Pratapgarh district’s City Kotwali police station area where his driver had stopped for the train to pass by. An officer associated with the investigation, however, said that neither the driver not the people present at the spot claim to have witnessed anything. Dr Singh was admitted to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital where his condition is said to be stable. The police are waiting to record Dr Singh’s statement to get the possible motive behind the attack and identify the shooters.

Kotwali police station SHO Harpal Singh Yadav said: “Dr Singh’s son lodged an FIR against unidentified people. As per the FIR, the Scorpio vehicle had stopped near the Chilbila Railway crossing, which was closed for passing of the goods train. Dr Singh got down, relieved himself on the roadside and then got inside the vehicle. The windows were rolled up and he was talking to somebody on the phone when the alleged firing took place.”

The SHO, however, the driver of the vehicle as having told the police that he he only heard a bang soon after which Dr Singh informed him that he had been hit by bullets and ought to be taken to the hospital.

“We have not been able to locate any empties. The claim is that he was shot at through the windows. The medical report on the other hand says he was shot virtually at point blank range. The gateman also said he did not see anything indicating that some people arrived there, shot at somebody and then fled. We are investigating the matter,” he said.

The police said there was “little indication” of the attack being a fallout of a property dispute as both of Dr Singh’s parents had passed away recently.

Deputy Inspector General (Allahabad Range) Bhagwan Swaroop, who had visited the spot Friday evening, said: “There are too many aspects in the case that still need to be ascertained. We are waiting for the victim to give a statement. It appears that those associated are not revealing too much. We have gathered some background details.”

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Incidentally, the vehicle in which Dr Singh was traveling belonged to one Muzamil, a sweeper at the Community Health Centre (Amethi), of which Dr Singh was holding additional charge for the past some time.

On Friday, Dr Singh, along with technician Audhendra Pratap Singh and the driver, was returning to Amethi from his native place in Jaunpur when the incident took place. Dr Singh had sustained gunshot injuries in his left abdomen and left forearm.

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