The condition of Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad, undergoing treatment after being attacked on Wednesday, is stable, police said, adding that the vehicle used by the attackers have been recovered from a village in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur. The vehicle was seized from Miragpur village late on Wednesday night. The number plate of the car used in the attack showed it was registered in Haryana, police said as reported by news agency PTI.
Superintendent of Police (City) Abimanyu Manglik said the Bhim Army chief was undergoing treatment at the district hospital of Saharanpur and his condition was stable.
"The crime scene was examined by a forensic team. As per preliminary findings, four shots were fired at Aazad's vehicle. There were four to five attackers," Senior Superintendent of Police of Saharanpur Vipin Tada said.
A bullet grazed Aazad's abdomen when unidentified assailants opened fire at his car in Saharanpur district's Deoband where he had gone to attend a ritual at a supporter's home on Wednesday evening.
There was heavy deployment of police force on the district hospital premises as a precautionary measure as Aazad's supporters started gathering there in large numbers raising slogans and demanding the immediate arrest of the attackers.
Hundreds of Bhim Army and Azad Samaj Party supporters gathered at the hospital and additional security personnel were deployed.
Bhim Army has demanded immediate arrest of the accused and strict action. RLD MLA Madan Bhaiya said Azad was out of danger and treatment was going on.
"I don't remember well but my people identified them. Their car went towards Saharanpur. We took a u-turn. Five of us, including my younger brother, were in the car when the incident occurred," ANI quoted Azad as saying.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav compared the law and order situation in the state with "jungle raaj".
"When the people's representatives are not safe in the BJP rule, then what will happen to the general public?" the Samajwadi Party chief asked.
Castigating the Yogi Adityanath-led government over the law and order situation, Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav said the opposition in Uttar Pradesh was now the target of both the government and the criminals.