RAJKOT: Four persons were booked on Sunday night for firing in the air in the crematorium of Chokadi village of Chuda taluka in Surendranagar district where the victim was performing the last rites of his mother. After the victim, Bharat Sindhav (48), dodged a bullet fired on him, the accused attacked him with iron pipes.
The attack was the result of a financial dispute. Police said the accused, Mahavirsinh Sindhav, nephew of Bharat, Mayur Dodiya, Umesh Parmar and their unidentified aide, arrived on two bikes while Bharat was performing the last rites of his mother at the crematorium of Chokadi village.
“Mahavirsinh first fired one round at Bharat who ducked the bullet. After this, the co-accused fired eight to 10 rounds in the air. Then the accused started hitting Bharat with iron pipes, causing him serious injuries,” said G K Jadeja, sub-inspector with Chuda police station.
After Bharat ran into a financial dispute with Mahavirsinh, he left his native of Chokadi village and moved to Botad to live with his other nephew Raviraj Rathod. On Saturday, Bharat received the news of his mother's demise, following which he and Rathod went to Chokadi to perform the last rites. The attack took place at the time when Bharat had just ignited the funeral pyre.
The attack left Bharat seriously injured. One of his hands and legs were fractured. He also received serious injuries on his head. Bharat was first taken to Chuda Civil Hospital and from there he was shifted to a private hospital in Botad, where his condition deteriorated.
The police have booked the accused under sections 307, 325, 326, 504 of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act. The police have launched a manhunt for the accused who have gone absconding ever since the complaint was lodged against them.
Rathod has become the complainant in the case.