Former Najafgarh MLA Bharat Singh was shot in what the police suspected was an incident motivated by personal enmity on Sunday evening. Now a member of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), this is the second attempt on Mr. Singh’s life in three years.
According to the police, Mr. Singh was attending a local programme near his residence in Najafgarh when he was targeted by bike-borne assailants around 8 p.m. The assailants are understood to have walked up to him and begun firing at point-blank range.
A senior police officer said his personal security officer too had suffered gunshot injuries and both were taken to the Mata Chanan Devi Hospital from where the former Legislator was shifted to Medanta.
“We are investigating the case from all relevant angles and questioning eyewitnesses,” said a senior police officer. “The case seems to stem from personal enmity and investigation is under way,” the officer added.
On June 2 , 2012, Mr. Singh had suffered a bullet each to his abdomen and left shoulder in a similar attack while at his office in Sarangpur. The incident had raised several questions over the security provided to MLAs and elected representatives, and caused a major embarrassment to the Delhi Government and the Delhi Police.
Mr. Singh is related to strongman Kishan Pehalwan. At the time of going to print, a police official said Mr. Singh was seriously injured, but stable.
