Congress MP from Sasaram, Manoj Kumar Ram, was injured when a group of people attacked him in Kaimur district, Bihar, on Thursday.

Six others, including Manoj’s brother, personal assistant, bodyguards and supporters were also injured in the incident.

Manoj escaped with head injuries and was rushed to the government sub-divisional hospital at Mohania, where the doctors administered first aid and referred him to the Bhabhua Sadar Hospital. He was then sent to Patna for treatment.

The incident occurred at Nathupur village under Kudra block area in the district, where Manoj’s brother, Mrityunjay Bharti, runs St. John International School. The Lok Sabha member had gone to the school on a day the vote-counting for election to the local Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) was undergoing at the Kudra block
headquarters.

Sources said that the latter had a school-related dispute going on with a few villagers and the attack was an outcome of it. However, the villagers said that the situation was aggravated because the MP’s vehicles were blocking a road in front of
the school.

The angle of a school-related dispute was initially corroborated by the police.

“The MP had gone to Nathupur to mediate in a dispute pertaining to the school between his brother and villagers. There was a clash between the two sides in which about seven people, including the MP, were injured,” Mohania sub-divisional Police officer (SDPO) Pradeep Kumar told reporters.

However, the police later asserted that the incident was a result of a clash between the supporters of the winner of the PACS poll.

“Sunil Kumar Chaturvedi won the election and took out a victory procession to go and pray at the Kali temple at Kudra Bazar. On their route, a vehicle belonging to the MP’s brother was stationed near St. John International School. A dispute occurred between the driver of the vehicle and supporters of Chaturvedi and resulted in a clash,” the statement issued by Kaimur superintendent of police (SP) Lalit Mohan Sharma said.

“The Lok Sabha member was inside the school at the time of the clash. He also came out and suffered injuries in the clash. The police rushed to the place of occurrence and sent him safely to the hospital. The situation was later controlled,” the
statement added.

An FIR has been registered alleging attempt to murder from the side of the MP. Sources in the police said that a few people involved in the attack have been identified and efforts to arrest them were under way.