Truck driver shot at in Maharashtra's Jalna; cops suspect kin's role

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A 30-year-old truck driver was injured after three persons allegedly opened fire at him in Maharashtra's Jalna district, police said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.

Some relatives of the driver are suspected to be involved in the firing, which took place at around 10 pm on Tuesday following a financial dispute, they said.

The driver, Mohammed Rizwan, a resident of Mumbai, had stopped his scrap-laden truck at a roadside eatery near Nagewadi toll plaza when a car arrived there, a police official said, reported PTI.

Three persons came out of the car, allegedly fired three rounds at the driver, and then quickly fled in their vehicle, he said.

The driver received injuries to his hand and upper body.

He was immediately rushed to the district hospital for treatment and his condition was reported to be stable, the official said, reported PTI.

Sub Divisional Officer of Police Anant Kulkarni said the attackers were suspected to be relatives of the victim, and the shooting was the result of a financial dispute, reported PTI.

A probe was on into the incident, the police added.

Sarpanch killed, 2 held; villagers block roads

A village head was abducted and murdered by some persons, after which angry villagers blocked roads in Beed district of Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange joined the protesters at Massajog village in Beed and demanded stringent action against the culprits.

Jarange warned that Maratha community members - the slain sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh was a Maratha - will take the law into their hands if the killers were let off, reported PTI.

Two persons have been arrested for allegedly killing Deshmukh, who was in his mid-30s, police said.

Protesters in Kej torched a state transport bus while staging a rasta rook and clashed with police, an official said.

Deshmukh was abducted from a toll plaza located near Dongaon Phata village around 3 pm on Monday. While he was crossing the toll plaza in a car along with his cousin Shivraj Deshmukh in the driver's seat, a black four-wheeler with six persons arrived there, police said, reported PTI.

One of the six persons then vandalised the driver's side glass window of the sarpanch's car, while another person pulled Deshmukh out and took him to the black car while beating him up with a stick, police said, reported PTI.

Another car, suspected to be carrying some associates of the kidnappers, then followed the black vehicle, as per police.

Shivraj Deshmukh later filed a police complaint alleging the sarpanch was abducted over a previous enmity with some persons. He also identified the person to whom the black car belonged, reported PTI.

The police subsequently registered a case against the alleged car owner and five other persons under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for intentionally causing harm, voluntarily obstructing the way and abduction with the intent to murder, as per the FIR.

The body of the sarpanch was found in Daithana area of Kej tehsil, police said.

(With inputs from PTI)