Congress senior leader dies after stabbed inside mosque in Maharashtra

Akola: Maharashtra Congress vice president Hidayatullah Patel, who was stabbed at a mosque in Akola district, succumbed to his injuries during treatment on Wednesday morning, January 7, police said.

The alleged attacker has been arrested, they said.

The 66-year-old was attacked with a sharp weapon by the accused over an old enmity at around 1.30 pm on January 6 after he offered namaz at a mosque in Mohala village in Akot taluka of the district, the police said.

The former district Congress president suffered injuries to his neck and chest, resulting in heavy bleeding.

He was rushed to a private hospital in Akot and admitted to its intensive care unit where he died on Wednesday morning, a police official said.

Some videos showing Patel with his clothes soaked in blood as he emerged from the mosque went viral on social media platforms.

Patel was at the Jama Masjid in Mohala for afternoon prayers on Tuesday. Around 1.30 pm, just as he was stepping out of the mosque after offering namaz, the assailant attacked him on the neck with sharp weapons. Local residents later rushed him to the hospital, according to the police.

After the incident, the police arrived at the spot and collected evidence with the help of forensic experts.

Six police teams were formed to apprehend the accused, identified as Ubed Khan Kalu Khan alias Razik Khan Patel, 22. He was arrested at around 8 pmfrom Panaj village in Akot taluka, Additional Superintendent of Police B Chandrakant Reddy said.

Following the incident, security has been stepped up in Mohala and Akot city.

District Superintendent of Police Archit Chandak was reviewing the situation.

The Akot rural police have registered a case in connection with the incident, an official said.