Prahlad Singh Patel's son Prabal Patel (left) has been charged with attempt to murder
Union minister Prahlad Singh Patel's son was arrested on Tuesday in an attempt to murder case that left four people injured in a clash in Madhya Pradesh. Seven others have also been arrested in the matter while a BJP lawmaker's son is on the run.
Prabal Patel, 26, had allegedly led an attack in the state's Gotegaon Narsinghpur district along with the other accused. The minister's nephew, whose father is BJP lawmaker Jalam Singh Patel, has been charged but has not been arrested yet.
One of the victims, 50-year-old home guard Ishwar Rai, suffered severe head injuries and is stated to be critical at a hospital.
The incident happened when two men had an altercation with the union minister's son and his aides around midnight on Monday.
The minister's son, nephew and aides first assaulted the two men and then took them to the house of home guard Ishwar Rai. Ishwar Rai's son was previously close to Prabal Patel and Monu Patel, but then allegedly fell apart. They called out Mr Rai's son and attacked him with rods and a baseball bat. Seeing his son being attacked, the home guard came out, but was also beaten up brutally.
The accused also allegedly opened fire injuring one person.
"All I can say is that it is sad and unfortunate. Law will take its own course. I don't want to make any further comments," Prahlad Singh Patel said on Wednesday.
Police has lodged a case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 147, 48, 149 (rioting), kidnapping (365), 294 (abusive behaviour) and 427 of IPC against 20 people.
Monu Patel is missing and efforts are on to arrest him.
Monu Patel's father, who was a minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, however, dismissed the charges.
"My son Monu was in Jabalpur when the incident happened, while nephew Prabal reached the spot after the incident. They have been falsely implicated by police in the case at the behest of ruling Congress bosses sitting in Bhopal," said Jalam Singh Patel.
Congress spokesperson Narendra Singh Saluja alleged that entire attack by the minister's son, nephew and aides was linked to illegal sand mining.
"Look who is breaking the law, it's none other, but the son and nephew of a minister of state holding independent charge in the Narendra Modi government, which makes tall claims about establishing rule of law," Mr Saluja said.
Police are also probing the possibility of the attack on the home guard and his son being linked to illegal sand mining in river Narmada.