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Mother of Kanpur law student, whose stomach was slit over meds, alleges police cover-up
The victim, Abhijeet Singh Chandel, was attacked after an argument with the shop owner.
The mother of a 22-year-old law student who was attacked at a pharmacy in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur over a dispute on medicine price has alleged that the accused were “well-connected with the police.”
The victim, Abhijeet Singh Chandel, was attacked after an argument with the shop owner, after which his stomach was split open and two of his fingers were chopped off, PTI news agency reported.
However, his mother, Neelam Singh Chandel, alleged that owing to their connections, the accused had also managed to lodge a false extortion case against her and her son.
"Instead of arresting those behind the murderous attack, police booked my son, who is fighting for his life," Neelam added.
However, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kalyanpur) Ranjeet Kumar said that while an extortion FIR had been registered based on the shop owner's complaint, a fresh case was filed after the truth regarding the assault came to light.
Following the attack, three persons, including the owner of the shop, were arrested, while a search is underway for the fourth accused.
How did the argument over medicine price turn violent?
Abhijeet, a first-year LLB student and a resident of Keshavpuram, had visited a pharmacy near his house in the Rawatpur area around 9 pm on Saturday.
At the shop, he had an argument with the owner, Amar Singh Chauhan, over the price of a medicine, PTI quoted the police as saying.
The argument led to the shop owner, his brother Vijay Singh and two other aides – Prince Srivastava and Nikhil Tiwari – launching a violent attack on Chandel, according to ACP Kumar.
The accused, who was carrying a chopper, struck the victim on his head and stomach, leading to grievous injuries. His stomach was slit open, and fingers were also chopped off during the attack, the ACP said.
Victim attacked with chopper, hospitals refused to admit him
Abhijeet collapsed on the road, soaked in blood from his injuries, with locals rushing to his aid, PTI reported. Meanwhile, the accused fled the spot.
The victim's family, who had to tie his intestines with a cloth, rushed him to four hospitals. However, the hospitals refused to admit him due to his critical condition, an official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
The 22-year-old was finally admitted to the Regency Hospital, where the doctors performed a two-hour surgery. The victim received 14 stitches on his head, the ACP said.
Accused Chauhan, Singh and Tiwari have been arrested on charges of attempt to murder, ACP Kumar said. The fourth accused, Prince Srivastava, is absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him.
