A sword attack that left a man seriously injured has sparked tension at Vasai near Mumbai and prompted the police to launch a massive search for suspects.
According to local residents, the attack could be a fallout of a dispute between two groups involved in pork trade.
The attack was captured by CCTV cameras in the neighbourhood, located in Maharashtra's Palghar district. The shocking footage shows one pick-up van hitting another, bringing it to a stop. A man is then dragged out of the vehicle and hit repeatedly with a sword. The attackers are seen scaring away bystanders by waving the sword and wielding a gun. Eyewitnesses have said the attackers fired shots to ensure no one intervened.
The man who was attacked has been identified as Harjeet Singh. The attackers kidnapped him after the assault, according to eyewitnesses. Police have registered a case and formed several teams to track down Mr Singh and the suspects. The other two people travelling with Mr Singh were not attacked, the visuals showed.
Police have seized Mr Singh's vehicle and a sword from the spot. Visuals from the spot show top police officers examining the spot for clues.
Local resident Jayendra Patil said the attackers warned bystanders against any attempt to rescue Mr Singh. "One of them pulled out a gun, so no one dared to intervene."
He added that the dispute could be linked to pork trade. "They are pork meat traders. This attack might be linked to that."
AdvertisementMr Patil said the attackers then put Mr Singh into their pick-up van and drove away.
