Shahjahanpur (UP), Apr 14 (PTI) A hot metal rod was allegedly thrust into the tyre of a car linked to a supporter of a BJP MLA in Shahjahanpur district, police said Monday.

Police, who have detained one man for questioning, believe it to be the result of a personal enmity.

An FIR has been registered against the man under sections 191 (2) (assembly), 131 (assault) 324 (4) (causing damage to property) of the BNS Act, police said.

BJP MLA Veer Vikram Singh ‘Prince’ told PTI, “I was at Alia Akbarpur Nawada village this afternoon to garland a statue of Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar when suddenly chaos erupted. Someone shouted, ‘break the BJP MLA’s vehicle.'” He added, “When my supporters checked, they found that a hot iron rod had been thrust into the tyre of a car.” The commotion ratcheted up after the garlanding of Ambedkar’s statue, he claimed.

“The atmosphere was extremely hostile. Some people seemed prepared to attack me. My supporters somehow managed to escort me to a safe location,” Singh said.

The MLA said that the car in question belongs to one Arimardan Pratap Singh, but he regularly uses it for travel. “This is the same car I usually sit in and use for moving around.” Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi said the preliminary findings do not suggest it was a politically motivated attack.

“The car belongs to Arimardan Pratap Singh, who has been in a property dispute with his cousin Jalvendra Singh. Our investigation indicates that Jalvendra heated a metal rod and deliberately damaged the vehicle’s tyre,” Dwivedi told PTI.

“We detained Jalvendra Singh on the spot and are questioning him further. Though preliminary investigation does not point to an attack targeting the MLA, we are taking the matter seriously and probing all possibilities, including whether it could be part of a larger conspiracy,” he added. PTI COR KIS VN VN