Daijiworld Media Network - Akola

Akola, Jan 7: In a shocking incident in Akola district, Maharashtra Congress vice president Hidayatullah Patel (66) succumbed to injuries after being stabbed at a mosque in Mohala village, police said on Wednesday morning.

The attack occurred around 1.30 pm on Tuesday as Patel was stepping out of Jama Masjid in Mohala after offering afternoon prayers. The assailant, identified as Ubed Khan Kalu Khan alias Razik Khan Patel (22), allegedly attacked Patel with a sharp weapon over a long-standing enmity, inflicting severe injuries to his neck and chest, which led to heavy bleeding.

Patel was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Akot and admitted to the ICU, but doctors were unable to save him. Videos circulated on social media showed Patel emerging from the mosque with his clothes soaked in blood, sending shockwaves through the community.

Following the attack, six police teams were deployed to apprehend the accused, who was arrested from Panaj village in Akot taluka around 8 pm on Tuesday, confirmed Additional Superintendent of Police B Chandrakant Reddy.

Police and forensic teams visited the mosque to collect evidence, while security was heightened in Mohala and Akot city. District Superintendent of Police Archit Chandak is personally overseeing the situation.

A case has been registered at Akot rural police station, and further investigations are underway. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation across political and social platforms.