Patna, Dec 3 (IANS): Around 10 unidentified men attacked a labourer involved in bridge construction in Bihar's Gaya district. The worker was shot at during a suspected extortion bid, police said.
On Wednesday around 10 p.m., the victim, Mohamad Saheb Momin sustained gunshot injuries in the head, SHO of Fatehpur police station A.H. Ansari said.
"Momin is one of the labourers involved in construction of bridge on Dhandher river at Badaua Dehri village. As labourers are staying in makeshift hutments at construction site, they are attacked and kidnapped. Momin met the same fate at gun point.
"As he tried to escape, his attackers, 10 of them tried to stop him, while one shot at his head. The incident took place after they had travelled some distance away from construction site.
"Momin apparently returned at the construction site despite a scull fracture," Ansari said.
"The other labourers took him to ANMCH in Gaya. He was later referred to PMCH in Patna in critical condition," Ansari said.
The eyewitness have claimed that the accused were wearing face mask, looking for the contractor of the project. They were demanding extortion money before allowing them to continue construction of the bridge.
They also claimed that the attackers had demanded the extortion money from the contractor some 10 days ago and the shot at the worker and the attempt to kidnap him was to threaten him further.
"The matter is under investigation and we are trying too identify accused. We have pressed for local intelligence to identify accused," Ansari said.
Sources have said that mafia dons of Gaya have been used to the practice of extorting protection money from every contractor before allowing them constructions of government or private projects.
It was one of the poll issue in recently concluded Bihar Assembly election wherein NDA leaders pointed out organised extortion business during RJD's tenure flourished between 1990 to 2005.
Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadanvis had given '10 lakh tamanche' remark to attack Tejashwi Yadav. He said that if RJD would come to power, Tejashwi would buy 10 lakh 'tamanche' (country-made pistols) to promote kidnapping and extortion business.