Man Attacked In Madhya Pradesh For 'Supporting' Nupur Sharma: Police

A man was injured after he was attacked by a group of people armed with sharp-edged weapons for allegedly expressing support for former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma in Madhya Pradesh's Agar Malwa district on Wednesday, officials said.

Following a complaint, the police filed a case against 13 people for the attack on the man identified as Ayush Jadam, 25, and arrested two of the accused, police said.

Agar Malwa's Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Sagar told PTI that the complainant in the case has claimed Jadam was attacked for supporting Sharma, whose controversial comments about Prophet Mohammad during a TV debate in May had kicked up a huge controversy.

It is a matter of investigation if the victim had indeed supported Sharma and in what manner, he added.

The police arrested two of the accused in the case and a search was on to arrest the others, Mr Sagar said.

Jadam sustained head injuries in the assault, the police officer said.

Agar Malwa Kotwali Police Station in-charge Harish Jejurikar said the victim was attacked when he was passing by a local toll booth on a motorbike in the morning.

The complainant said the accused, all identified and residents of Agar Malwa, intercepted the victim and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons, he said.

Jejurikar, however, did not disclose the names of the arrested duo.

The police registered a case under 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) following the complaint filed by one Ashutosh Soni, he said.

The victim was initially taken to the district hospital and later referred to Ujjain for further treatment, he said.

Meanwhile, activists of some right-wing outfits staged a protest outside the SP office and demanded the arrest of all the accused.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)