Aayush Kashyap, the 19-year-old son of Congress leader Sammelal Kashyap, was shot dead by masked gunmen in Janjgir-Champa on Friday while his 16-year-old brother survived with a hand injury in what appears to be a targeted attack. (File/representative)
The 19-year-old son of a Congress leader was shot dead and his younger son was injured in an attack by three gunmen who barged into their home in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district in the early hours of Friday.
According to the local Birra police, the incident occurred around 12.30 am in Karhi village at the residence of Congress block-level leader Sammelal Kashyap, 55, who runs a business supplying cement and sand for construction work.
Three men came on a bike and barged into his house after which one of them opened fire at Kashyap’s son, Ayush, twice on the chest. His other son, a 16-year-old, got shot in an arm. Both were rushed to a hospital, where Ayush was declared brought dead while the minor is being treated for his injuries and is said to be out of danger.
Janjgir-Champa Additional Superintendent of Police Umesh Kashyap said, “We have made multiple teams to track down the accused.”The teams have put up barricades at different exit points in the district and are sifting through CCTV cameras at checkpoints and highways.
Speaking reporters, the minor said they were asleep when the sudden banging on the door woke them up. He said, “My sister tried to stop them but they threatened her with the gun and demanded money and mobile phones. We handed over cash and they took my sister’s phone.” The gunmen locked the door before fleeing from the spot.
Speaking with The Indian Express, Janjgir Champa MLA Vyas Kashyap from the Congress party said, “I have spoken with the family members. They said this is not a case of robbery but a business rivalry. This has been done by the sand mafia who used to threaten Kashyap.”
“Kashyap had expressed he received threats in the past and that he could be harmed but his son got targeted. The family had recently brought a JCB machine. Their business was going well. Illegal sand mining has been going on rampantly and the government is not taking any action on them which has led to this incident,” alleged Kashyap.
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