SILCHAR: A local Congress leader in Assam’s Sribhumi district allegedly attacked a party colleague with a sharp-edged weapon at a restaurant where they had gone for snacks after a party meeting on Monday, people familiar with the matter said.
The victim, 35-year-old Jillur Nur, is a local Congress functionary from the Umorpur area of Sribhumi district. Sribhumi district Congress president Tapash Purkayastha said Nur was initially taken to Sribhumi Civil Hospital and was referred to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), where he is undergoing treatment. He is reported to have sustained injuries to his hand and chest.
Police said the incident took place at about 6:30pm on Monday.
Police said they are trying to trace the prime suspect in the case, Shahanaz Hussain, a local Congress leader who had been eyeing a party ticket in the state elections later this year.
Sribhumi Congress leaders said the incident occurred some time after a Congress meeting attended by senior party leaders ended in the Nilambazar area.
Purkayastha refuted initial reports that the incident occurred during the meeting. “Though it didn’t happen during the meeting, we strongly condemn this incident. We suspect there were personal issues between the two individuals, and necessary action will be taken at the party level,” he said.
Some party leaders went to a nearby restaurant, where an altercation between the two escalated.
A police officer said the precise circumstances that led to the attack were still unclear and investigators were yet to record the statement of the party functionaries present at the restaurant.
HT reached out to Sribhumi senior superintendent of police (SSP) Leena Doley, for her comments on the case. She is yet to respond.
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