Rayagada: Rajya Sabha MP N Bhaskar Rao and his family members escaped an attempt on their lives after armed miscreants attacked his residence at Raniguda farm in the town and ransacked over 20 vehicles parked outside, while destroying a room on the premises Saturday morning.
According to reports, over 50 youths armed with axe, iron bars and other sharp-edged weapons also pelted stones on the house and barged inside and attacked the inmates, leaving seven hurt, two of them critically.
Rao and his family members, however, escaped the attack as they were not present in the house at the time of the incident.
On being directed by SP Rahul PR, additional superintendent of police Y Jagannath Rao, SDPO Raj Kishore Das, Rayagada IIC Rabindra Kumar Patra rushed to the spot with a police force.
The attackers fled from the spot when the police arrived. Police rescued the injured persons and admitted them to the district headquarters hospital for treatment.
Among them Y Kanda Babu and P Raju, who had sustained severe injuries and were in critical state, were shifted to Vishakhapatnam after being given primary treatment.
The axe, iron bars and other sharp-edged weapons brought by miscreants during the attack were also seized by the police from near the house of Rao.
Several police officers and a platoon of police force were deployed outside Rao’s residence, while two platoons were deployed at other strategic locations in the town to avoid recurrence of any untoward incident.
Police registered a case over a complaint by Srinivas Rao of Raniguda farm. When contacted, ASP Jagannath Rao termed the incident as a group clash instead of political violence.
Two other cases relating to violence, lodged by Joshi Bijay Kumar Das of fourth lane DFO office in Raniguda farm and another by Basant Ulaka Friday evening were also registered by police.
He said the accused involved in these three cases will be arrested soon and produced in court. He said the actual reason behind the attack could be ascertained after completion of the probe.
Attempts to contact Rao for his side of view proved futile as he did not receive the call. PNN
