Bilaspur, Mar 14 (UNI) Former Congress MLA from Bilaspur, Bambar Thakur was shot by unidentified assailants from a close range near his residence here on Friday afternoon.
Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal said unidentified assailants fired around 12 rounds, injuring Thakur and his personal security officer (PSO), Sanjeev Kumar. The incident occurred while Thakur was celebrating Holi with his supporters.
Thakur sustained a bullet wound to his thigh, while his PSO was critically injured, suffering gunshot wounds to his leg, back, and thigh. Initially treated in Bilaspur, Thakur was later referred to IGMC Shimla for advanced care, whereas Sanjeev Kumar was admitted to AIIMS Bilaspur in critical condition.
A police team from Bilaspur Sadar has been deployed to track down and arrest the assailants.
Reports indicate that a few other individuals were also injured, including Vishal Sharma, a supporter of Thakur, who sustained pellet injuries while attempting to rescue him.
Thakur’s son, Ishan Singh, confirmed the firing through a Facebook post, informing that his father is undergoing treatment.
AIIMS Bilaspur Police Post in-charge, Rajinder Singh, confirmed that Thakur was rushed to IGMC Shimla while his PSO was admitted to AIIMS Bilaspur.
The police have launched an investigation to identify the assailants and their motive. Security in the area has been tightened to prevent untoward incidents.
This is not the first time that Bambar Thakur has been targeted. On February 23, 2024, he was assaulted outside a railway line construction company’s office, resulting in a broken tooth.
A case was registered against 11 accused. Later, on June 20, 2024, the prime accused in that case was shot outside the Bilaspur court premises, leading to the arrest of five individuals, including Thakur’s son.
Bambar Thakur, a Congress leader, served as the MLA from Bilaspur after being elected in 2012. He later lost the seat to Subhash Thakur in 2017 and Trilok Jamwal in 2022. He was known to be a close associate of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
The investigation is underway, and more details are expected to emerge soon.
UNI ML CS
