Maharashtra: Man fatally stabbed near polling station in Osmanabad

Osmanabad (Maharashtra), May 7 In a shocker, a man was allegedly stabbed to death while another was injured in a brawl that erupted on Tuesday near a polling station in Patsangvi village during the voting for Lok Sabha polls, the police said.

According to officials, in the charged political atmosphere of voting day, a verbal war broke out between two opposing groups near two polling booths at the Zilla Parishad polling station in the village at Bhoom taluka, around 11.45 a.m., sparking panic in the vicinity.

The incident, purportedly triggered over bringing in voters and supporters to the polling booths, led to heated arguments and soon degenerated into a full-fledged brawl between the two groups.

In the violent melee, one person whipped out a knife and repeatedly stabbed his rival Sadhan Patil, and injured at least one more person, before fleeing from the scene.

Local residents claimed that the deceased was a supporter of the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate, sitting MP Omprakash Raje Naiknimbalkar.

"Trouble arose out of a 'personal dispute' among some local people and not having any political connections, as speculated. It did not affect the elections in any manner and voting proceeded smoothly," Osmanabad Superintendent of Police Atul Kulkarni told IANS.

Subsequently, when the locals and police rushed there to calm down the groups, an uneasy peace returned.

The alleged assailant, identified as Gaurav Naiknaware, 23, is, however, on the run, and a police team is looking for him.

Patil was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, while the other person was undergoing treatment.

Patil's body has been sent for an autopsy even as police tightened security in and around the polling station, and further investigations are underway.

Source: IANS