Indore, Apr 20 (PTI) The leader of opposition in the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) was arrested on Sunday on charges of attempt to murder after he and his family clashed with a BJP politician, an official said.

The arrest of Chintu Chokse prompted the Congress to accuse the BJP-led government in Madhya Pradesh of unfairly targeting its members.

Additional Commissioner of Police Amit Singh told reporters that there was a fight between the children of Chokse and BJP leader Kapil Pathak on Saturday night.

Both families got involved in the fight during which Pathak received serious injuries to his head and was rushed to the hospital, he said.

In his statement to the police, Pathak accused Chokse of attacking him with a rod. In the medical report too, the doctor has confirmed a deep gash on Pathak’s head, said the official.

Besides Chokse, seven others have been booked under section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), he said.

Chintu Chokse and one Subhash Yadav have been arrested, while the others – Rohan Chokse, Ishan Chokse, Radheshyam Chokse, Gaurav Chowdhry, Sumit Thakkar, Ravi Prajapati and one unidentified person – are on the run, he said.

Meanwhile, state Congress president Jitu Patwari condemned the arrest, calling it “unconstitutional” and the outcome of a political vendetta.

“We’ve sought a meeting with the DGP (director-general of police) to raise this misuse of power,” Patwari said in a press conference.

Following the arrest, Congress workers gathered outside the Indore police commissioner’s office, while Chokse’s supporters protested at Hiranagar police station. Additional police forces were deployed to prevent further chaos.

Citing the medical report, BJP supporters claimed that Pathak’s complaint was genuine. PTI COR ADU NR