Assailant stabs SP MLA’s gunner on train, flees with carbine

The assailant barged into the bogie, looted the gunner’s carbine and attacked him with aknife before jumping out of the train, say police

LUCKNOW The police gunner of Samajwadi Party MLA Suhaib Ansari in Sultanpur district was stabbed by an assailant when he was travelling on the Shramjeevi Express train on Tuesday evening. The gunner, Rakesh Kumar, was critically injured and undergoing treatment at the district hospital in Sultanpur, said police.

The gunner, Rakesh Kumar, was critically injured and undergoing treatment at the district hospital in Sultanpur. (Pic for representation)

Suhaib is MLA from Mohammadabad assembly of Ghazipur district and is nephew of jailed don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.

Kumar was travelling from Varanasi to New Delhi when the incident took place 100 metres before the Sultanpur railway station. The assailant barged into the bogie, looted the gunner’s carbine and attacked him with a knife. He then jumped out of the train, stated Shamim Ali Siddiqui, GRP in-charge, Sultanpur.

The gunner’s family and the MLA had been informed about the incident and investigation was underway after registering an FIR under IPC sections 307 (for attempt to murder) and 394 (for committing loot) at the GRP police station in Sultanpur, said police.

ADG, GRP, Piyush Anand said multiple teams had been formed to trace the assailant and an alert was sounded across the state.

SP, GRP (Lucknow), Pooja Yadav said a sketch of the suspect was released and shared with other police stations and GRP stations across UP. She said the identity of the person providing information about the assailant would be kept secret and a reward will be given to the individual.